


Helping Hands

by Captainmintyfresh



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Friends With Benefits, Fuckbuddies, Idiots in Love, M/M, Terrible similies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-12-23 22:43:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21089012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainmintyfresh/pseuds/Captainmintyfresh
Summary: When Buck told Eddie he missed sex he'd thought he'd maybe get some sympathy, or hell, a little bit of empathy, an 'I feel that, brother'. He thought he was someone who he could whine to about his sexless days. He definitely hadn't thought it would end with Eddie naked in his bed the morning after but, well, he's really not complaining.AKA that fuck buddy fic no one asked for.Divergence post season 2. Bucks leg has healed and he's back with the 118. Ali and him have broken up.





	1. Chapter 1

Despite how close the 118 were, both to those inside the team and the families of those outside actually getting together with everyone for a night was a rare occurrence. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to it was just that, between childcare and the possibility of unsociable working hours half of them kept nights, where everybody was both childfree and able to stay for longer than an hour before having to return home to prepare for the next day, were few and far between.

Buck loved the nights where they all managed to get together. Especially nights like the one he had been having where, for what seemed like the first time in forever, everyone had come together, not in a hospital waiting room or for a ‘well done for not dying’ party but just come together to be together.

The problem, however, was that for a lot of the people a night without kids meant that although having a few drinks was nice, there were other much nicer things they could be doing in their empty houses. Things that were a lot more difficult to do with kids around.

And so after a few hours the couples had started to break off. Hen and Karen were the first to go, whispering in each others ears before they were running off. Athena and Bobby were next, only a few seconds behind really. Athena had cast a knowing look at Hens retreating form and then turned to Bobby with a smirk that had left him standing up and ever so politely informing the remaining four that it was getting late

That in itself wouldn’t have been too bad. Buck got it, sex was great. Sex, when you didn’t have to worry about your kids hearing, or worse, walking in to ask for something and instead getting years of trauma, was even better. 

But, really. Maddie and Chimney had no excuse. They didn’t have kids to interrupt them, hell, they didn’t even have roommates. They could sleep together whenever they damn well please and it seemed like all their shifts were at the same time so they were free at the same time. They were in a prime position for regular sex. Not that Buck wanted to think about that but, when his sisters declining his offer of another drink so she could go home and bang one of his best friends it’s something she forced him to think about. 

Especially when the two practically ran out of Bucks apartment, giggling and letting the door slam hard enough to knock his bike off of the wall.

“I hate sex.” Buck decided.

“Yeah?” Eddie hummed, draining the last warm dregs of his beer.

“Yeah.” Buck decided. Eddie stood up, opening his mouth. Buck held a hand up before he could speak.

“If you’re about to tell me you’re leaving to bang someone while Christophers at Isabel's I will follow you and cockblock you. I refu-”

“I was just gonna say can I grab another beer or do you want me to head off.”

“No!”

“No?”

“I mean yeah, you can have one. Christophers out for the night right?” Eddie nodded. “Then dude, stay as long as you want, I still have like a twelve pack in the fridge and-”

“Want one?”

“Still working on this one.” Buck said, sloshing his warm beer in Eddies direction. He gave a small nod and moved off to the kitchen, socked feet padding softly as he went. Buck watched him until he was all but hidden behind the slatted steps. The fridge opened, glass clinked, the door closed with a soft slam and then the footsteps were back, Eddie appearing by the steps once again with the bottle clutched in his hand. He stilled suddenly as a laugh floated through the propped open balcony door. A laugh that sounded to Buck uncomfortably like his sisters.

“Is that-” Eddie started.

“GO HOME!” Buck shrieked from his place on the couch, hoping desperately his cry would reach the two probably waiting for a cab somewhere down below. Eddie snorted a laugh. Closing the balcony door, blocking out the whispers of Maddie laughing.

“I repeat. I  _ hate  _ Sex.” Buck said.

“You just hate that everyone but you’s having sex.” Eddie said, twisting the cap off of his bottle as he made his way back to the couch. 

“No. I hate sex.”

“Sure you do.” Eddie said. Buck twirled his beer between his fingers, watching the liquid swirl in the bottle. He thought of Abby, of Ali. Of god knows how many others, warm bodies and hot mouths and-

“I miss sex.” Buck groaned, throwing his head back hard enough it hit the wooden backboard of the couch with a dull thud. He was thankful he was drunk, if he wasn’t he knew it would have hurt like a bitch. Eddie chuckled next to him, Buck rounded on him with a bleary glower.“It’s not funny man. I’m gonna die of blue balls. I mean, my hands are good, really good, I do this thing where-” Buck trailed off as he saw Eddie’s eyebrows creeping into his hairline, mouth gaping open as his beer bottle hovered near his mouth, forgotten. Buck cleared his throat, drunken haze lifting enough to remind him that going into detail about his masturbation habits with his friend was probably a line he wasn’t meant to cross. He cleared his throat, trying to force the heat creeping up his cheeks away from determination alone and pushed on. “But they’re  _ my _ hands! I miss sex with another human. It’s been months.”

“You could pick someone up-”

“I know that. You don’t think I know that? I am the king at pickups.”

“Then what's the problem?”

“I suck at picking people up!” Eddie laughed into his beer bottle, sending a soft spray over his chin, Buck ignored him. “I’m too good at it, man. I had a one night stand when I was like 19 and then had like 6 straight years of one night stands, and one day stands, really one anywhere anytime stands. If I was awake I was one standing.” Eddie’s guffaws of laughter got too much to ignore as he bent forwards hacking out wet splutters of beer between cackles. “Will you stop laughing! It’s not funny!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Eddie choked. “One standing? Fuck-”

“I was a slut!” Buck exclaimed, gesturing with his own beer bottle hard enough to send it flying to the floor. The two watched it roll across the floor, beer sloshing out of the neck of the bottle onto the rug lazily. He thought for a moment about picking it up, trying to clean it but really. After having all of the 118 and their partners over one beer bottle on the floor was just the tip of a cleaning iceberg that could wait until the morning. “And I worry if I just, find some stranger to sleep with I’ll go full Slut Buck again.” He continued, turning his attention back to Eddie. “I don’t want to be Slut Buck. I just want-”

“Other hands.” Eddie offered.

“Exactly. So I need someone I know, you know? Because random people- i mean, random people stack up, you know? But if it was someone I knew I couldn’t do that. it’d be awkward to like cheat on your fuckbuddy when you  _ know  _ your fuck buddy. You know?”

“Yeah. I know.” Eddie grinned, amusement still shining in his eyes.

“But I mean, what are my options? Hen’s a happily married lesbian, same with Karen. Maddie’s my sister, Chimney is dating my sister. Caps like … I mean he’s Cap and he’s married to Athena. can you imagine what Athena would do to me if I slept with Bobby?!”

“I really don’t think I want to.” Eddie said, moving to take another sip from his bottle.

“Neither do I! And I couldn’t sleep with him anyway! He’s basically our Dad.” Buck exclaimed, snatching the bottle from Eddie's hands and downing a hefty glug before Eddie’s hands were there, tugging the bottle away from his mouth leaving a cold waterfall of beer careening down Bucks chin and shirt.

“Dude!” Buck hissed, pawing effectively at the wet patch on his shirt.

“What about me?” Eddie asked. Bucks head snapped up, wet shirt forgotten. Eddie sipped at his liberated beer casually.

“You?”

“You have a reason why for everyone else, so why wouldn’t you try and fuck me?”

“Well, I mean…” Buck blinked, feeling a lot like a deer in headlights. “You...I…well-” Eddie’s lips twisted, curling up at the corners more and more for each stumbling word that oozed from Bucks mouth. “You’re straight.” He finally settled on. “You wouldn’t fuck a guy.”

“I would’ve said the same about you until you said you wouldn’t fuck Bobby because he’s your Dad.”

“He’s not my dad-”

“You want him to be.”

“I wouldn’t fuck you because you’re an asshole.” Buck grumbled. Eddie let out a laugh and really, Eddie was laughing at him far too much, it was only fair that Buck get a chance to laugh back. Buck let his lips turn into a smirk, body sprawling languidly against the arm of the couch.

“You couldn’t handle me.” He hummed. 

“Think you’d be surprised at what I could handle.” Eddie purred right back. The smug smile fell from Bucks lips as Eddie met his gaze head on, eyes dark and daring Buck to do something stupid.

Buck swallowed past the sudden dryness in his mouth, trying to remind himself that this was a joke, Eddie was joking and jumping your best friend for playing along with a joke about you banging was a bad idea. 

“You want another beer? I’ll get you another beer.” Buck jolted up from his seat on the couch, retreating to the kitchen. Socked feet padded across the floor once again.

“Getting a bit flustered there?” Eddie asked.

_ See  _ Buck thought  _ he’s fucking with you, he’s just trying to make you squirm  _

“Did you not hear me saying I've fucked my way through the entire west coast? I don’t get flustered.” The footsteps stopped, Eddie's bottle clinked as he placed it down on the island.

“Prove it.” It was a challenge if Buck had ever heard one. His hand froze on the fridge door for a split second before he was spinning round and closing the distance between them. Probably a bit too hard if the way Eddie gasped as his back hit the edge of the island was anything to go by. The sound was quickly doused out as Buck sealed his lips over Eddies.

The idea that maybe Eddie hadn’t been challenging him, at least, not in the way Buck had thought, sprouted in Bucks mind as Eddie's hands settled on his hips. 

His heart cantered in his chest. His mind fell silent as he let himself get lost in it. In the feel of stubble against his chin and the taste of beer. In the press of warm fingers clawing at his sides as soft lips moved against his.

A low growl rumbled from Eddie's throat as Buck pressed his hips forwards, rolling them against Eddies, once, twice.

“Fuck.” He breathed, pulling back just enough to suck in ragged breaths. Eddie’s hands stayed on his hips, locking them in place as his mouth dipped to Bucks throat, teeth skating the skin. “Fuck.” He repeated eloquently. “Is this gay chicken?” Buck croaked. Eddie’s teeth left his neck, head bobbing up to meet his eyes. Buck resisted the urge to add a third ‘fuck’ to the mix as his eyes rested on Eddies kiss swollen lips. He raised his gaze as Eddie’s hands tightened at his sides only to find Eddie’s eyes focused on his own lips. Buck drew in a stuttering breath as Eddie moved, forcing Buck back step by step. His back hit the fridge, inside the bottles rattled. He could feel Eddie's breath against his lips as he leaned back in.

“If it is i’m gonna win.” Eddie promised before capturing Bucks mouth once again. 


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t the first time that Buck woke up with his head throbbing and lights burning his eyes, nor was it the first time that he’d woken up to someone else in the bed with him. It wasn’t even in the first 10 times. It was, however, the first time he wished his hangover was worse than it actually was because, at its current level he could remember all too well  _ exactly _ who the person in his bed was and exactly how they’d ended up tangled in the sheets.

The sun was still low, peeking through the windows in orange beams that were far too soft for an apartment that was still haunted with the musky blanket of spilt booze and sex. Too gentle for the sudden crash of realisation that yeah, he really did bang his best friend when they were both too sober to reasonably blame the alcohol and the alcohol alone.

Buck’s body rocked as the mattress tilted, telling him that Eddie was very much awake. A part of his brain, the part that still lingered in pre-Abby Buck told him to shut his eyes, pretend to sleep and let Eddie collect his shit in peace. 

He might have, were it a normal one night stand and not his best friend. It wasn’t like pretending to sleep meant he would never have to deal with the fallout. He’d been right the night before, knowing the person made it different. Meant he’d have to deal with it, sooner or later. 

He was already on rocky ground, there was every chance that Eddie would freak out, or run out. That he’d push Buck away and pretend they were never friends and if he didn’t already want to do that then he probably would if Buck let pre-Abby brain win out and feign sleep to postpone the inevitable confrontation. 

He forced himself to sit up, sucking in shallow breaths as he chanced a look over at Eddie. Eddie, whose hair was sticking out every which way and had a hickey blooming across his collar bone like a fucking neon sign reminding Buck that they hadn’t just gotten drunk and decided to nap naked in his bed. Eddie met his gaze.

The silence was suffocating. 

Buck bit his tongue to stop a ‘morning buddy’ from passing his lips. There were certain things that saying to your friend while you still had the taste of their dick on your tongue was just bad form. And calling them ‘buddy’ was certainly one of those things.

“I can still taste your dick.” Buck blurted. Which, in retrospect was probably worse than a ‘morning buddy’. Worse than most of the things Buck could have said really, definitely in the top three dumbest things he could say. 

“I’m sorry?” Eddie said softly. For a moment, Buck debated the merits of just not repeating what he’d said, but well, it seemed rude.

“I can sti-” He started tentatively.

“No I heard I just...Sorry.” 

“Its uh...Its okay? I have a toothbrush so-” Buck trailed off grimacing at his own words.

_ What the fuck are you saying, be quiet  _ he thought desperately pressing his lips together to stop any more words spilling out.

He used to be good at this. Used to wake up and not be horrifically aware of how awkward it could be. 

An awkwardness that only grew when he shifted in the bed and was reminded once again of his,and eddies, current state of undress.

Buck had never really been shy about his body but with a sober Eddie sitting next to him the journey from his bed to his drawers to find some boxers suddenly seemed far too long. His hope that Eddie would move first was crushed when he saw the way Eddie’s eyes flickered from his own boxers, hanging out of reach on the cusp of the top step to the wall in front of him. Body edged with tension.

Buck turned to look out the window, gnawing on his lower lip, praying that Eddie would take one for the team and be the first to make the uncomfortable dash to find clothes.

A bird flew past the window, the seconds ticked on. The silence hung over them. For a moment Buck wished they hadn’t closed the balcony door the night before so at least the sounds of the street could filter in and break the uncomfortable quiet.

Eddie smacked his lips. Buck picked at a loose thread on the sheet.

A minute passed. Buck let his eyes creep back over to Eddie. Someone had to do something.

“So…” He started, voice an uncomfortable croak. He cleared his throat as Eddie’s eyes raised from the sheets to meet his. Buck searched his mind for something to say. “I guess you really would fuck a guy then.” He tried. Eddie puffed out his cheeks, nodding slowly. “Hell of a way to come out to each other.” The air in Eddie’s cheeks was squashed out with a squelching sound as he seemed to try and force down a cackle. It didn’t work, Buck watched as Eddie sucked on his lips, shoulders vibrating with barely concealed laughter and felt a chuckle rising in his own chest. 

The second Buck’s soft squeak of laughter burst from his lips, the floodgates opened. Eddie let out an ungodly snort that had Buck doubling over in sniggers.

This, Buck thought, was also a first. He’d had a lot of reactions to a morning after, usually either a round two or a quick getaway but never had he ended sitting dressed in no more than an artfully draped sheet laughing so hard tears streamed in hot trails down his cheeks. Eddie fared no better.

It seemed to take forever for the laughter to finally abate, giving way to silence once again but this time it didn’t feel quite so heavy. Buck found a smile tugging at his lips as he looked to Eddie and thought of the ridiculousness of the entire situation. 

“That was really stupid.” Eddie said, hands scrubbing over his face.

“Broke the tension.” Buck grinned. Eddie snorted, dropping his hands to meet Buck’s gaze, his smile began to droop, corners of his mouth twisting seriously.

“No, I meant us...last night. It was-”

“Fun..” Buck interrupted, ignoring the curls of anxiety twisting in his stomach. Eddie was right, it was stupid, incredibly stupid, a risk they shouldn’t have taken but he knew that if they thought about it that way, if they lamented over how badly it could screw things up then it would end up screwing things up. He moved his eyes to the ceiling, trying to ignore the feel of Eddie’s gaze burning into the side of his face. “I mean, yeah, it was dumb as hell. Definitely could have ruined our friendship, but, fuck it, we were drunk-”  _ not that drunk _ Bucks mind supplied helpfully but he ignored it. “-and needed to blow off some steam. It happens. It was fun now it’s done. Some fresh sheets and a shower and its water under the bridge.”

“...So we’re good?” Eddie’s voice was soft, tentative and hopeful, Buck felt relief swirling in his veins.

“Yeah.” He breathed. “Yeah Eddie, we’re okay.”

“Okay.” Eddie repeated, smile stretching across his lips. Buck’s lips tipped upwards in response. 

“So things are back to normal.”

“Totally normal.” Buck agreed. The two stayed rooted to their spots in the bed, Buck found his eyes turning back to the drawers on the opposite wall. When he looked back at Eddie he found the man’s eyes on his lost boxers again.

“Should we just go for our clothes on the count of three?” Buck suggested.

“Definitely.” Eddie said.

*

When Buck emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, clad in sweats he expected to find Eddie fully dressed, perhaps calling a cab. He didn't expect to see Eddie clad only in his shirt and boxers, tossing beer bottles into the bin.

“You really don’t have to do that.” Buck said, leaning against the railing as he peered down at Eddie. “I can do it later.” Eddie continued picking his way across the floor, cleaning his path. “Man really, it’s-”

“I can’t find my pants.” Eddie grumbled, hand scuffing at the back of his neck. “I figured it’d be easier if I cleaned as I went.”

“Well, where were you when you took them off?” Buck asked, it worked for him when he lost his keys. Eddie ducked his head further to the floor. Hand working overtime at the back of his neck, seemingly trying to wear a whole through it. 

“I uh...you took them off.” So much for things being normal the moment they had boxers on.

“Oh.” Buck snorted.

“It’s not funny. I have to get home and shower before I pick up Christopher. I need my pants.”

“You could borrow some pants” he offered.

“Thanks but-” Eddie broke off. Blinking just below Bucks feet owlishly.

“But?” Buck prompted.

“I found my pants.” Eddie said.

“Wha-” Buck leant further out over the railings until he could see the dangling legs of Eddie’s pants hanging from where they were tangled around the very bottom of the bannister. “Sorry I guess I was a bit enthusiastic.

“That’s uh, that’s okay. Not like I was complaining.” Eddie said, cheeks tined red. Buck swallowed, remembering Eddie’s wrecked voice as he’d hissed at Buck to hurry up leading to Buck tossing Eddie pants over his shoulder before he was shoving Eddie to the bed hard enough to make the wood groan.

“Buck. My pants.”

“Right. Yeah.” Buck unhooked eddies jeans and tossed them down to him. 

“Thanks.” Eddie said, hopping around as he fought his way back into his pants. “Can you give me a ride?”

“Gave you one last night.” Buck replied.

“Buck.” Eddie huffed sounding like he was in pain.

“Oh come on. That was funny!” 

“No, Buck.” Eddie shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips. 

“Fine. Just let me grab my keys and we’ll go.”


	3. Chapter 3

Buck had expected things to be awkward when he’d arrived at work the day after dropping Eddie off at his house to wash the scent of sex off of his skin. 

Sure, he knew full well how to handle a one night stand. When he was working as a bartender, still firmly in his Buck 1.0 lifestyle, he’d seemed to have more shifts seeing someone he’d slept with the night before than not, but with Eddie it was different.

Probably because this time he felt he actually had something to lose. 

More than anything though, he expected Eddie to find it awkward. Of course, Buck had had more than his fair share of one night stands to get used to the aftermath. But Eddie, well the past 8 years he’d been married with a kid so Buck seriously doubted that he had that much experience in post-one-night stand etiquette. 

And so, he was pleasantly surprised when he arrived to a ‘Morning Buck’ so normal that for a second he’d wondered if it had all been a dream. It was only when Bobby had thanked Buck for having them round and he’d seen red flecking across Eddie’s cheeks that he was sure it had really happened. 

But other than that, a small blush no one else picked up on, things were normal. Eddie would clap him on the back after a rescue gone right. Buck would lounge by the pinball machine talking while Eddie played between shifts. The only real difference was that sometimes when Eddie’s arm would brush his or he’d whisper a joke in a low tone Buck found himself being jolted back into the memories of skin on skin. 

Before long Buck found himself, not forgetting exactly, but..disregarding it, letting himself slip back into the routine he loved so much. Days ticked into weeks which turned over into a full month since he’d accidentally slept with his best friend and Buck was sure that that would be the end of it. One night. One little mistake that he and Eddie would carry with them and maybe one day, a few years down the line, joke about.

*

It was one of the rare days that Maddie had the day off when none of them did, and one of the even rarer days that they were actually in the station enough to settle for more than a hot second. As such, Buck found himself sprawled across the couch watching as Eddie played the fire station video game. He was almost wishing for a real emergency rather than a simulated one as lethargy clawed at him.

“I’m gonna grab a water, you want one?” Buck asked. Eddie shook his head, eyes glued to the screen as he tried to skid the animated firetruck between lanes of jam-packed traffic. Buck stood up, stretching out with a soft yawn before he plodded his way over to the kitchen.

Maddie, Hen and Chimney sat on the stools, Chimney picking at cookies and making moon eyes at Maddie while she talked softly to Hen. Buck grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before he turned to look at the three around the table.

He felt a smile lifting on his lips, it was nice. Sure days where the emergencies they were called out for felt few and far between seemed to drag on, especially after he’d spent so long away from the team but, moments like this, where he got to see the team together, lounging around like the little mismatched family they were made even the slow days fill his chest with a glow of warmth.

Maddie being there only made it better. He remembered when she’d arrived in LA how nervous she would get, how even in the good moments she had been nervous, checking over her shoulder. There were still moments she did, still times when her body would tense and Buck would feel the need to wrap her in a blanket and remind her that she was safe, Doug could never touch her again but now wasn’t one of them. Not when she was smiling at Hen, her fingers twidling idly in Chimney’s cookie free hand. She looked content, happy.

“I know Thena and Bobby are bringing Scrabble. Karen refuses to believe it’s a game night unless there’s Pictionary so we’ll be bring everything for that.” 

“Perfect.” Maddie grinned. Buck twisted the cap off of the water bottle and crept closer to them. 

“I’m going to go buy some drinks when I leave, is there anything specific you want? I know Karen likes-” He held the bottle over Maddie’s head, tipping it slowly just enough so a few drops leaked and splashed onto the crown of her head and down her back making her let out a shrill shriek “EVAN!” Maddie howled, aiming an elbow behind her. Buck easily danced out the way of it.

“Very mature.” Hen snorted as Buck sauntered around the table taking over-exaggerated sips from his bottle as Maddie tried to pat at the damp patches on her back like a dog chasing its tail. 

“So what’s this about games night?” Buck hummed, resting his elbows on the table. Maddie stopped her attempts at drying herself. Gaze snapping to Hen as the two began to waggle their eyebrows at one another, neither making an effort to answer him. Buck stole a cookie from the pile, shoving half of it into his mouth before launching the remaining crumbs at Maddie’s head to force her attention back to him.“What time should I come over?” Buck grinned around his mouthful of cookie. Maddie sucked on her teeth. 

“Listen, Buck…” she started “You know we love you but-“

“What, Am I not invited or something?” Buck asked with a laugh. Chimney grimaced.

“I’m gonna-“ Chimney said, flailing an arm pretty much every direction possible before rushing off, Bucks laughter stopped.

“I’m not invited?” 

“I’m sorry.” Maddie gushed. “We’d love you to come-“

“Then invite me! Problem solved.” Buck said, brows pinched. 

“I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“It’s a couples thing.” She said softly.

“That’s discrimination!” Buck huffed.

“No.” Hen said.

“Please?” Bucked said, batting his eyelashes. “I’m great at game night.”

“You cheat at scrabble.” Maddie accused hotly.

“How?” Hen inquired. The Buckley siblings ignored the question.

“Come on Mads! This isn’t fair, you can’t invite everyone  _ but  _ me.”

“It’s not everyone but you.” Chimney said, reappearing to steal another cooking. “Eddie’s not invited either.”

“Oh, Because that’s helpful.” Hen said with a click of her tongue.

“Eddie’s not- Hey, Yo Eddie!” Buck called, Eddie’s head popped up from below the back of the couch. “Come here.” He ordered, waving him over, Eddie tossed the controller next to him and hopped over the back of the couch smoothly, slumping over, no doubt feeling the slow day too. “What’s up?” He asked, propping a hip against the island. 

“Did you know that this lot are all meeting up tonight and we’re the only two not invited?” Buck said. Maddie burrowed her head in her hands with a sigh.

“Really?” Eddie hummed, eyeing the guilty parties. Chimney scurried away once again at the attention. “Ouch.”

“It’s a couples night.” Maddie tried again. “We’re just going to be playing some games-”

“I can play games!” Buck snapped. He’d been left out of enough when he was healing from the truck bomb being left out of a game night with all the people he loved for something as stupid as not being part of a couple felt like a slap in the face. It wasn’t exactly his fault he wasn’t dating anyone. Ali had been the one who couldn’t handle his job, or the stress Buck had put himself under to try and get back to it as quickly as possible. 

“In pairs!” Maddie rushed. “And having a few drinks, it’s nothing special but they’re all partner games.”

“Well, What if I bring a partner?” Buck pleaded.

“No offense, Buckaroo but I don’t really want to spend the night hanging out with whatever stranger you can pick up in four hours.” Hen said. 

“I don’t need to pick someone up! Eddie will be my partner.”

“I will?” Eddie said incredulously.

“Yeah man.” Buck said. “You were just saying about how Christopher was going to a sleepover so it’s not like you’re doing anything.” And by just Buck did of course mean that Eddie had told him almost a week ago and Buck had been counting down the days since so that he could remember to ask Eddie, and Christopher when he saw him, how it went. “And! We can do it at my place, that way not only are you getting extra friends but also no one but me has to tidy up.”

“Not tidying up does sound good.” Hen hummed.

“Right?” Buck pressed. “So please can we come? I’ll provide drinks and the maid service.” Maddie rolled her eyes. “Please Mads?”

“Alright, fine, but only if Eddie is okay with it.” 

“Well, apparently I'm not doing anything.” Eddie said, sounding more amused than anything else. 

“Yes!” Buck cheered. “This is gonna be awesome. I haven’t had a games night in  _ years _ . I’m gonna go tell Bobby about the change of venue” He exclaimed, scrambling off to find the Captain.

“You guys do know it is possible to say no to him. Right?” Maddie said, voice ringing in Buck's ears as he passed Chimney, returning from his self imposed exile once again.

“Yeah, but then he makes the puppy dog eyes.” Hen said. “Boys like a human golden retriever.”

*

The shift picked up towards the end, something that was both a blessing because, well, something to do and a curse because as much as Buck enjoyed helping people he knew that everyone would much rather they never need the 118’s help. 

With emergencies keeping the group busy it felt like no time at all before the shift was coming to an end and Buck was racing home to shower and hide all the mess from his floor behind the couch before the happy couples, and Eddie, were appearing on his doorstep laden down with board games and, in Maddie's case, wine bottles.

*

“So-” Buck said the moment everyone was settled around the coffee table, rubbing his hands together in a way that he was sure made him look like an over-excited fly. “What are we playing first?”

“I was thinking Pictionary.” Karen blurted.

“We’re gonna crush them.” Hen whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Karen’s hairline.

It didn’t take long for Buck to realize why Karen loved Pictionary. Not only was it a good icebreaker, getting everyone laughing at the odd pictures being scribbled out for them to guess but it became clear within the first round that Karen and Hen would be the clear winners. Karen was the only one out of them that seemed to be able to draw anything even remotely resembling what the were trying to draw. 

And just like it was clear that Karen and Hen were going to win early on it was painfully clear that Buck and Eddie would be losing, spectacularly. Eddie’s drawings were so bad that Buck considered the chance that it was really Eddie who drew some of the get well soon cards he’d gotten from Christopher while his leg was out of commission.

Even with the knowledge they were going to lose it was fun. It felt good, filled his chest with warmth as he looked to the gaggle of people laughing in his living room as Eddie got increasingly more desperate for anyone to guess just one of his drawings. 

After Pictionary, and Eddie licking his metaphorical wounds of making Cap and Athena laugh so hard they cried with his ‘artwork’, they moved onto Heads up which Buck was proud to say he and Eddie didn’t do quite so badly at. Although, Buck wouldn’t go as far as to say they did  _ well. _

Next came scrabble which, Buck did indeed cheat at. Both by stealing extra tiles from the bag and by checking words on his phone every time he played the oh so dutiful host and went to get someone some ice for their drink that they had in no way asked for. If you asked him he would proudly say he and Eddie won, if you asked anyone else they would say that he and Eddie were disqualified.

*

Buck burrowed his face in his hands, desperately trying to keep the laugh itching in his throat from bursting out of him as Hen crawled around on the floor acting out what he was sure was meant to be Babe, pig in the city. A look to Karen’s amused grin told him that there was a very good chance she knew what her wife was trying to do as well but, after them leaving her acting out ‘The princess bride’ for 15 minutes, was in no rush to hazard a correct guess.

Athena’s phone clicking with the ominous sound of a camera shutter and Hen’s seething glare in her direction finally broke him, the laugh honked out loud, scratching his throat.

It took another three minutes for Karen to guess correctly and another minute and a half after that for Buck to calm down enough to stand up and take his own go.

“Movie!” Eddie said. Buck held up two fingers. “Two words!” Buck nodded, hands moving to his pants and undoing his belt. Eddie gaped eyes snapping between Bucks crotch and his face fast Buck couldn’t help but wonder if it was making him dizzy. When Eddie’s eyes finally settled on his crotch he flicked the top button of his jeans open. “Stripper?” Eddie guessed. Chimney honked out a laugh. Buck gestured to his crotch. “Dick? Cock? Penis! Fuck I don’t- Pants? Gigalo!”

“STI!” Hen jeered, Buck threw his middle finger up at her. 

“I know what it is.” Maddie groaned. He pressed a finger to his lips and gestured to the egg timer, still ticking down seconds before he turned back to Eddie, gesturing again.

“Crotch, groin um DICK!”

“Already guessed that.” Chimney reminded him. Buck undid his fly, Hen let out a loud cackle of laughter. He gestured again.

“Man, I don’t know what that means.” Eddie huffed. “Snake?” Buck reiterated that it was two words. “Trouser snake.” His eyes rolled as he wafted more forcefully at his crotch. “Do something else!” Buck did not. “Fucking, A dick, good dick?”

“What about small dick?” Chimney murmured. Karen’s drink came out of her nose.

Buck dipped the tip of his finger below the line of his boxers, raising an eyebrow.

“Buck.” Maddie warned. Buck grinned, nodding to the timer again. “Evan. No.” He hooked his thumbs into the front of his boxers. 

“How is this not stripper?” Eddie growled. 

“I know you’re not about to strip in front of me.” Athena said desperately. Buck inched his boxers down. Bobby held a hand over Athena’s eyes, Hen peeked through her fingers like she was watching a horror movie. Karen wolf-whistled. The timer rang, Maddie jolted out of her seat.

“FREE WILLY!” She shrieked, loud and high pitched enough he was surprised she didn’t crack the windows.

“Come on Mads, you should have let someone else get it” Buck huffed, flopping back into his seat. 

“How would we get that?” Eddie gapped. “How did you get that?” He continued, rounding on Maddie.

“He’s been doing it since he was five.” She said. “I’m just glad this time you didn’t actually Free Willy.”

“Athena has a  _ gun,  _ Maddie.” Buck exclaimed incredulously, making quick work of fastening his pants. “I wasn’t going to actually flash her.”

“I’m sorry, you’ll whip your dick out in front of your  _ sister _ but not in front of Athena?” Hen asked.

“My sister can’t shoot it off.” Buck said. Chimney, Eddie, and Bobby winced. “And you know, it’s Athena. She’s a police officer, and Bobby’s  _ wife _ .” Eddie let out a sudden snort of laughter loud enough to draw everyone’s attention.

“What’s so funny?” Karen asked. Eddies eyes flickered to Buck, lips twitching before he seemed to collect himself. Buck raised an eyebrow.

“It’s nothing. Just, remembered something Christopher said.” Eddie lied. Blatantly. “It’s your go Maddie.”

“Alright, give me a second to think.”

“Boo.” Buck drawled, Maddie tossed a chip at him.

“Okay! Okay I have one. You ready?” Buck set the time, Maddie started miming.

“Tv show, 4 words. Fourth-word” Chimney said, leaning forward eagerly feet bouncing as he waited to guess. Maddie mimed a roof. “House!” Maddie mimed another bigger food. “Big house! Mansion! She’d.” Maddie pointed towards the window. “Apartment!” She stopped, frown forming as she thought. “No, not apartment?” Chimney said. Maddie waved her arms, a move that buck knew very well to mean ‘forget that’ before she was changing to the first word.

A grin overtook her face as she threw a look over her shoulder at Buck. Buck raised an eyebrow and she jabbed her tongue out at him childishly. Suddenly she turned back to Chimney, She marched over to him, shoving him back, shoved him back, climbed into his lap and rolled her hips. The women cheered. “I have no idea what you’re doing but I like it.” Chimney grinned. 

Buck faked a gag hauling himself out of his seat and scurrying towards the kitchen, half to get a new beer and half so he wouldn’t have to watch his sister dry hump his coworker.

Once he had a fresh bottle cracked open he rested back against the refrigerator doors, watching the team in the living room as Maddie switched between grating on Chimney’s lap and pointing out the window.

“Oh! OH! Sex in the city!.” Chimney bellowed.

“Yes!” Maddie cheered. High fiving Chimney still from her perch on his lap. 

“Alright, Bobby it’s your go.”

“Thank god.” Buck groaned loud enough to draw attention from those in the living room.

“We tried to tell you it was couples night.” Maddie said, voice oozing smug satisfaction as she moved to sit next to Chimney rather than on him.

“Couples night I’m fine with. My sister doing PDA that could get her arrested I'm not okay with.”

“Aww Buckaroo-” Chimney cooed. “You getting a bit flustered.”

“No.” Buck scoffed, slurping at his beer bitterly. He wasn’t flustered, he was grossed out, there was a distinct and unfortunately vivid difference. 

“Didn’t you know? Buck doesn’t get flustered.” Eddie said. Buck's eyes snapped up to meet Eddie’s, heart lurching as Eddie’s oh so innocent smile changed to a smirk as he noticed Buck looking. And then, like a true asshole, he winked. Actually winked.

Suddenly Buck regretted the beer. It was the same brand as he’d had the last time the same group of people had been over, the same brand that he could still remember tasting on Eddie’s lips.

Buck averted his eyes, heat rising in his cheeks as he rested his back against the refrigerator door, swirling the beer in his bottle idly as he tried to stop himself from remembering the way Eddie had walked him back into the same door, how his stubble had scratched at his chin and his fingers had dug into his hips. How the handle had dug into Buck's spine uncomfortably but he’d been too busy focusing on Eddie’s hips rolling against his own to complain. How-

Buck sucked in a breath, head snapping up as he suddenly found his eyeline blocked by a familiar chest. 

“Hey.” Buck croaked. It would take two steps for him to push Eddie back into the position he was in last time, to taste the beer on his lips again.

“Hi.” Eddie said. “I’m just grabbing a beer.”

“Same.” Buck said, wagging the fresh beer in his hand. Eddie nodded, eyes flicking to the fridge pressing firmly into Buck’s back. 

_ Move  _ Buck thought desperately. Two steps. Would Eddie let him do it again. He’d been fine with it last time.  _ Walk away, _ his mind screamed.  Eddie raised an eyebrow, Buck’s eyes dipped down towards his lips for a split second, Eddie took another step forwards and Buck felt the air push out of his lungs in a hot wave. 

_ Was he?  _ No. 

Buck swallowed as Eddie’s hands fell on his waist, warm and familiar before they were tugging him oh so softly, moving him a half a step to the right before one of his hands was dropping and moving to the fridge door. He was hit by a cool wave of air as Eddie opened the fridge. So close that it bumped his shoulder. Bucks gaze flickered over the side of Eddie’s face as the fridge light lit it up. The sharp edge of his jaw, the slope of his nose. The curve of his lips. Lips that Buck knew would taste like beer again as Eddie grabbed a beer and turned, no doubt to meet Buck’s eye, perhaps why Buck was still standing half blocking the refrigerator like a weirdo, or maybe ask what the hell he was looking at. 

Buck snapped his gaze up a moment too late, fully aware that Eddie would have seen and noticed exactly where his eyeline had been. He waited for something to happen. For Eddie to step away, for him to sneer. 

Eddie’s gaze flickered downwards, to what Buck was  _ sure  _ was his lips. The air lodged in his throat as Eddie met his gaze again. Buck’s tongue darted out over his suddenly too dry lips. The fingers at the hand still on Buck's waist twitched. 

A laugh barked out behind them. 

Eddie closed the fridge door with a snap that had Buck jumping and sucking in a sudden gasp of air before Eddie span on his heel and draped himself over the edge of the island. Eddie propped himself up with his elbows as he peered over at the rest of the group. Buck found himself more interested in inspecting the curve of Eddie’s spine as he sprawled over the counter. Eddie’s beer cap rattled as it hit the island. 

“First your sister, now your dad. You must be regretting begging to be invited.” Eddie said. Buck drew his gaze from Eddie back to the group still in the living room, watching as Bobby pressed kisses over Athena’s face.

“He’s not my Dad.” Buck choked, shuffling over to stand next to Eddie at the island. He drained half the beer in his bottle. Eyes firmly on Hen cheering as she apparently got...whatever it was that Bobby and Athena were doing. A thought hit him. “Is that what you were laughing at earlier?” he muttered. “You were thinking about what I said about Bobby?”

“You don’t mind your sister seeing your dick but god forbid Mom and Dad do.” Eddie chuckled.

“I’m never talking to you about anything again.” Buck said. “I was venting and you’re using it against me, you asshole.”

“If I remember I did a great job of helping you...vent.” Eddie said with all the innocence of

Buck choked on his beer. Eddie patted him on the back calmly. 

“You-

“Who’s next?” Eddie called innocently, Like he hadn’t tried to single-handedly murder Buck seconds before.

“I’m not going again.” Karen said. “Might be time for us to call it a night. We should probably go put the sitter out of their misery.” 

“I have an early shift so stealing my husband and heading home to make sure May hasn’t burnt down the house sounds perfect.” Athena agreed.

“You okay if we head off too?” Maddie asked. “I’m getting kinda tired.”

“Course.” Chimney grinned. “You mind if we catch a lift with you guys, Cap?” He asked, twirling Maddie’s hair around his finger.

“Course not.” Bobby hummed.

The thing about working in the emergency services was that you got very good at leaving quickly, as such generally once the 118 decided they wanted to leave somewhere they were out of the door within a matter of seconds by habits sake so it was no surprise to Buck that within two minutes of Karen mentioning it might be time to call it a night he was shutting the door on the three couples with a murmur of ‘see you tomorrow’ 

“You want me to head off too?” Buck jumped as Eddie’s voice filled the quiet apartment.

“No..that’s okay.” Buck said, twisting around to find Eddie still in the kitchen, beer in hand. “I mean, you just got a new beer. Might as well finish that before you go. Right?”

“Right.” Eddie said. For a moment neither of them moved, Eddie's gaze tracked his face. Buck could hear the elevator whirling outside as the group no doubt piled into it, ready to go home.

Eddie should have left with them, there was no point of Eddie staying.

But, just like last time Buck wanted him to, had asked him to.

He pushed away from the door, edging back towards Eddie. Eddie picked up Buck’s half-empty beer with his free hand, dangling it in his fingers as an offering as Buck crept closer. Eddie took a swig of his own, Buck’s eyes settled on Eddie's lips as they wrapped around the rim of the bottle, throat dry. Buck passed the edge of the island, his fingers brushed Eddie’s as he took his bottle from him and came to a stop in front of him.

He took a sip of his own beer as something to do, the base of the bottle just missing bobbing Eddie’s nose as he lifted it. He was too close, definitely, if they both drank at the same time they’d end up cracking their bottles together. Neither made a move to step back. 

Eddie’s beer bottle clinked as he set it down, his eyes never leaving Buck. Buck lowered his own bottle.

He used to be good at this, used to be able to tell if the reason heat was swirling low in his gut was just because of him being unable to keep it in his pants or because there was actual tension hanging over them.

His eyes dropped to Eddie’s lips. He used to be able to tell if he’d get punched in the face for trying something. Buck 1.0 had tricks to find out.

Buck leaned over Eddie to put his bottle down, their chests brushed. Eddie didn’t move away. Buk rocked back on his heels.

“I got one.” He said, words slipping out past his lips of their own accord.

“What?” Eddie asked, voice coming out raw, like he’d forgotten how to use it. 

“Charades.” Buck clarified, trying to force his voice to stay steady. “I have one.” Eddie’s brow pinched for a moment, eyes flickering over Buck’s face before he relaxed, resting back against the island, arms crossed over his chest, his eyebrows bopped up, his head bowing in a little nod that Buck knew meant ‘go ahead’. 

He rubbed his palms against his pant legs. 

It was stupid. He thought. He should stop, should change the course of the conversation, drink his beer in silence or ask about Christopher. Break the tension.

He raised his hands.

“Movie.” Eddie said, eyes burning into Buck. “Three words.” Buck stepped forward, gesturing between himself and Eddie.

It’s a joke. Buck told himself as he pressed closer to Eddie. He’d pull back any second and laugh. Eddie uncrossed his arms. Planting his hands either side of him on the counter, leaving Buck room to slid closer.

It’s just a game of chicken, another part of his brain reasoned. As Buck found himself bowing his head to accommodate for the height difference. Any moment Eddie would stop it and Buck would win.

It’s just the alcohol. He settled on, like two beers really made any difference, as he was sealing their mouths together. His hands tightened against the counter either side of Eddie, knuckles turning milk white as he kissed back unabashedly.

He tasted of beer, just like last time, his stubble scratched at Buck’s chin in the same dizzying way as a month ago but, unlike last time, Buck didn’t find himself being pulled closer.

“Is it Brokeback Mountain?” Eddie breathed, lips still brushing Bucks with each word. Buck jabbed a finger into Eddie’s side, Effectively breaking the kiss as he let out a gasp of surprise.

“Screw you.” Buck huffed, shifting his weight and turning on his heel, ready to walk away, to forget it happened, to laugh it off. Eddie’s hand snatched his wrist.

“I didn’t guess yet.” He said, voice low. Not unlike when he’d asked Buck ‘why not me?’ a month before. Buck worried his lip, making no move to pull out of Eddie’s grip. “Think I need a bit more prompting.” Buck's gaze moved from the hand on his wrist to Eddie’s eyes. He swallowed.

“Yeah?” He asked. Eddie’s lips curled, the grip on Buck’s wrist got tighter before he was being hauled back into Eddie’s chest.

“Yeah.” Eddie’s lips were on his before he’d even finished the word.

He kissed him hard, stealing the air out of his lungs. This time their hands didn’t stay on the counter. Buck found his moving of their own accord, sliding over Eddie’s shoulders, his chest, fingers tangling in the soft curls at his head and using them to direct Eddie’s head where he wanted it. Eddie’s own hands found their way back to Buck’s waist, fingers dipping beneath his shirt leaving the calloused pads of his fingers tickling his bare skin before they were clamping around his hips in a bruising grip. 

It was intoxicating, his head swam and his blood rushed in his veins. His heartbeat pounded in his ears along with the keens and gasps they made as they moved together. He sucked on Eddies lower lip, reveling in the crackling whimper that past his lips as he did before he was kissing him again. Hot and heavy, Eddie followed him like the tide.

Once was stupid but it was easy to write over. To say we were drunk and move on, to pretend nothing changed. 

What if a second time wasn’t as easy to ignore. The nail in the coffin of their friendship.

Buck knew he wanted this. That he could separate the Eddie gripping his hips and making soft keening sounds as their bodies rolled together from the Eddie at work but what if Eddie couldn’t.

What if he was just following Bucks lead and tomorrow would once again realize how colossally stupid it was to risk their friendship for a cheap thrill but this time not be willing to sweep it under the rug.

He was jolted from his thoughts as Eddie opened the top button of his jeans with a flick of his fingers. Buck sucked in a surprised breath against his lips.

“I did Free Willy earlier, can’t do it twice in one game.” Buck joked, voice shaking. Eddie pulled back, Buck almost went cross-eyed trying to look in Eddie's eyes as he hovered a centimeter out of reach. It felt too far.

“There’s a Free Willy sequel.” Eddie offered gently. Buck felt his lips twitching in a smile. The anxiety in his stomach settled.

It was stupid, so stupid but fuck, no one had ever accused him of being smart.

“Well in that case-” He breathed. Eddie dove back in, capturing his lips in a searing kiss and tugging at his fly. His lips moved, trailing from Buck’s lips to his throat, teeth nipping at the skin before he was sucking a mark that had Buck hissing out a groan. His brain was quickly dissolving into white noise.

“You know it’s not actually Free Willy 2, right?” Buck whimpered. “I mean it was a good guess but it was wro-”

“Buck.” Eddie said, popping off of his neck.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up about charades.” Eddie said, promptly shoving his hand down the front of Buck’s boxers. Buck clawed at Eddie’s shoulders a strangled yowl passing his lips.

“Holy fuck yeah, okay. Shutting up.” 


	4. Chapter 4

They didn’t make it to the bed, something Buck really hadn’t minded at the time but now, as the sweat was cooling rapidly on his skin and he was fairly sure at least fifty percent of his body was covered in bruises from the hard floors he couldn’t help but regret letting his eagerness to get his hand in Eddie’s pants overshadow the need for a bed.

Even if his floors had been made out of the softest carpet rather than cold white tiles he’d have regretted it. At least in a bed when things came to an end and you were realizing that you’d once again ended up getting up close and personal with your friends dick there was a sheet to cover yourself with when the uneasy silence began setting in.

If anything it felt worse than the last time. Not only was there nothing to cover up with without moving, something Buck was sure would end up looking like a lubed up deer on a slip n slide with the amount of sweat clinging to his skin and the smoothness of the tiled floor. but they didn’t have to fatigue of a long shift, a few too many beers and an orgasm to knock them out so they could face their decisions the next morning with a ‘well, guess it’s all in the past now’ Like they could last time. 

Instead, they were left to the mercy of the unrelenting present.

Buck had never liked clocks. He hated how when he was in class he’d lose himself listening to the tick, tick, tick of the second hand rather than listening to the teacher. Or how he’d stare at the blinking red numbers on digital clocks as he tried to sleep.

One thing he’d made sure about when moving in was that no one got him a clock as a house warming present. Just the idea of listening to the incessant clack of the second hand every night when he was trying to sleep was enough to drive him half-mad. Now, however, he wished that there was a clock somewhere in the apartment, And not the watch shoved in his drawers between clothes too far away for him to hear, because, for the first time ever he longed for the click of a clock.

Simply so he could know that time really was passing and they hadn’t dropped into some pocket dimension where they would be trapped forever on the frigid tiles thinking about what had just happened. What, until they were dressed and the floor was bleached, was impossible to ignore.

He tried to even out his breathing as his eyes tracked a beam of light sliding across the ceiling as a car drove past on the street below. 

“Friends with benefits.” Buck croaked, breaking the heavy silence. 

“What?” Eddie said.

“Charades, the uh... I was doing friends with benefits.” 

“Right.” Eddie replied, voice hoarse. This time neither of them laughed. The silence came back, stretching out like an elastic band ready to snap. The tension cracked with Eddie sitting up so suddenly that for a moment Buck worried he’d heard something, that Maddie was about to burst back through the doors proclaiming she’d forgotten her purse and catch them red-handed.

“I should go.” Eddie said. It was only when Eddie grabbed for his jeans and started pulling them on, boxers be damned, that he realized that Eddie was just rushing because he wanted out.

He needed to talk to him. Buck opened his mouth, ready to let words spew out until something fit right and made the awkwardness seep away like it had done the last time, before he realized that covering his junk was probably a good starting point. 

Buck sat up, curling in on himself and scooting along the floor, his ass made an uncomfortable little squeaking noise as sweaty skin stuck to the tiles but he kept dragging himself, feeling not unlike a dog with an itch until he reached his boxers and quickly struggled into them.

“Eddie-” Buck started. Eddie stumbled as he seemed to try and pull his jeans on faster. The zip whizzed as he finally managed to get them on. Buck pushed himself to his feet, taking a step towards Eddie, Eddie took a step back.

Buck froze, bile rising in his throat.

“I’ll see you at work.” Eddie mumbled. Snatching his top from the floor and scuttling towards the door. Buck took a stumbling step after him, heart beating so hard it ached.

_ No no no _ Buck thought as Eddie grabbed the door handle. He couldn’t have ruined the best friendship he’d ever had because he was freaking horny. 

“Eddie-” Buck choked, trying to think of something to say, some way to make things not weird again. He came up short. Still, something in his voice must have worked because Eddie paused, his gaze softened as their eyes met, lips tipping in a smile that spoke half-truths.

“We’re good, Buck.” Eddie said. “I just need to go.” Eddie threw the door open. Buck caught his arm.

“Ed-” Any words Buck could have come up with to stop Eddie from leaving died in his throat as he looked past Eddie to see his neighbor, keys halfway in their lock, eyes bulging almost out of their head as they spotted the two in Bucks doorway. Eddie followed Buck’s gaze before a red flush rode his cheeks and he was shrugging out of Bucks grip.

“I’ll see you.” Eddie grumbled, clutching his shoes and top to his bare chest like a rich lady clutching her pearls, before he was making a beeline for the closing elevator, sliding through the gap before it could close and leave him stuck in the hall. 

Buck watched the elevator until the doors were sealed shut and the whirring of the gears had started.

“I realize this is probably a bad time-” Buck’s head snapped back to the woman still hovering at her door. “-but I just moved in and um...would you like a brownie?” Buck’s brow furrowed.

“What?”

“I just moved in and I wanted to make a good impression so I made brownies but you weren’t in when I tried to hand them out but since you’re here now I figured, you know, why not ask.” she said, and really, Buck thought that ‘why not’ was pretty clear when he was standing in naught but his boxers with jizz visibly drying on his stomach. As if on cue her eyes flickered down his body. Buck shuffled in the doorway, heat creeping up his cheeks. 

“No thanks.”

“Right. Well...It was nice to meet you.” She said, Buck couldn’t help but think she was lying.

“You too.” He was definitely lying. She nodded, unlocking her door and shuffling through it. Buck retreated into his apartment, grabbing his discarded jeans on his way back to the island. He got his phone from the pocket before dropping the jeans back to the floor. He unlocked the phone with one hand as the other picked at his forgotten beer. It was uncomfortably warm after he’d left it for so long. After a few swigs, he put it back down, scrolling to Eddie’s text thread he let his fingers hover over the keyboard, brain searching for something to say. Some way to make everything less awkward. His eyes shifted from the phone to Eddie’s beer bottle, sat just out of reach, still filled almost to the brim with tepid beer.

Eddie didn’t want to talk to him. He’d left. 

Buck locked his phone, dropping it into the counter and burrowing his head in his hands with a groan. 

He wouldn’t be able to solve this with a simple text or call. Especially not when Eddie was probably sprinting barefoot and topless down the LA streets to get away from him. 

Tomorrow. He thought. He’d fix it tomorrow when they’d both showered and the sunrise had birthed a new day. Tomorrow, when this would be in the past rather than hanging between one second and the next.

Buck snatched his beer from the island, kicked the remaining clothes through to the laundry room and stomped upstairs to wash the memory of Eddie’s fingers off of his skin and hopefully make tomorrow come sooner. 

*

The next morning Buck picked his way into the station timidly. Bag clutched in a white knuckle grip over his shoulder as his mind repeated the speech he’d practiced so many times that it now sounded like gibberish to him. Nausea swirled in his stomach as his eyes flickered from person to person both searching for and praying he didn’t see the familiar head of wavy brown hair. 

He came to a stop outside the changing room, relief and distress waring at him as he saw Eddie’s cubby free of his bag. He wasn’t in yet, which meant Buck would have more time to come up with a coherent ‘please don’t hate me because we banged’ speech.

What if the speech didn’t work, what if Eddie hated him? What if he’d ruined it all because of one stupid comment and a goddamn wink during a game of charades he hadn’t even been invited to.

“Mornin’ Buck-” Buck let out a shriek, jolting hard enough to send him off of the floor for a moment as a hand clapped his back. He spun around, coming face to face with an amused looking Eddie. “Woah -You okay? Bit jumpy.” Eddie grinned. Buck heaved in calming breaths as his heart somersaulted in his chest.

“Yeah no, I’m… I’m good.” He said, words trailing out as the surprise gave way to the realization that it was  _ Eddie _ who had clapped him on the back and tried to greet him like things were normal. Eddie who was still seemingly stifling a laugh at his expense. The same Eddie who had fled his apartment the night before.

“Good.” Eddie grinned, sliding past him and waltzing into the locker room like he did every day.

Buck blinked at his back. Eddie had left. Had run _ .  _ Had left his damn boxers in Bucks kitchen in his haste to leave and now he was fine? Now Eddie was just going to give him a ‘mornin’ Buck’ like Buck had spent the better part of the morning preparing a speech in what he’d expected to be a futile attempt at having them stay friends.

He shouldered into the locker room after Eddie.

“What the fuck was that?” Buck hissed.

“What was what?” Eddie asked.

“The...that-” Buck said, gesturing outside the locker room. “The ‘morning buck’ like everything is normal.” The easy look on Eddie’s face vanished, his shoulder tensed.

“You don’t want things to be normal?”

“Of course I want things to be normal!” Buck hissed.

“Then what’s the problem?” 

“You were being weird!”

“I thought I was being normal.” Eddie said.

“I mean last night. You ran off.”

“I didn’t run.”

“Dude your boxers are on my floor still.” Buck hissed. Eddie flushed.

“I..fuck okay. I didn’t, I wasn’t expecting it okay? and I didn’t...I couldn’t think of how-” He stuttered. “It was a weird situation and I didn’t know how to be normal.”

“But now you do?” Buck asked cautiously. 

“Easier to think when your best friends not lying naked next to you.”

“Right, yeah.”

“I just needed a minute, but like I said. We’re fine.”

“Really?”

“Really. I mean, like you said before. It’s fun right and you’re not the only one that missed it.”

“Yeah.”

“So we’re all good?”

“All good.” Eddie agreed. “In fact, I was thinking, last night after I uh, left do you want to come round Sunday?” bucks brow furrowed. 

“Don’t you usually take Christopher to Isabel’s on Sundays?”

“I have lunch with them but then I’m shooed out. My Abuela likes to have some time alone with him so we can both pretend I don’t know that she’s giving him too many sweets. So after lunch I’m all yours if you wanted.”

“Alright, yeah. I’d love to.” Buck said throwing a grin Eddie’s way. The nerves settling in his stomach. Eddie didn’t hate him, things were normal. He turned back to grab his own watch with it’s ominous and distracting ticking.

“I was thinking-” Eddie said slowly.“That maybe we could play charades, you know, if you wanted to.”

“Yeah sure.” Buck hummed, the second hand clunked obnoxiously “Want me to invite everyone else?”

“That’s not-“ Eddie started before he trailed off. Buck turned to see what the problem is and caught Eddie rubbing the back of his neck, cheeks dusted pink. His mind went back over the conversation.

“Wait wait wait! Was this...Is this a booty call?!”

“What? No!” Eddie wheezed, voice a fair few octaves higher than normal as a blush crept into his cheeks. 

“Holy shit!” Buck gaped, a laugh bubbling from him. “Ho-ly Shit! This is a booty call!”

“It’s not a Booty call!” Eddie hissed. 

“So you didn’t just invite me to yours when Christopher was out hoping we’d fuck?”

“No.” Eddie said unconvincingly. “Well-” Buck honked out another laugh that had Eddie’s cheeks flaring a brighter red, his hand came up scrubbing at the nape of his neck. “It’s not...I’m not...It’s just...I don’t expect anything! I just-” Eddie licked his lips. “I wanted to hang out with you either way but-”

“Well I’d hope so, I’m your best friend, not a blow-up doll.”

“Lets just.. forget it okay? We need to get ready for work.” Eddie said, practically diving into his bag as he searched for everything he needed to start the shift. 

“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested.” Buck murmured, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I just thought it was funny.” Eddie’s eyes flickered to him before he was pulling a watch from his bag and set to work clasping it around his wrist. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. His gaze flickered back to Buck.

“Are you interested?” Eddie asked. Buck’s eyes traced the question as it formed on Eddie’s lips. 

“I’m always up for a game of charades.” Buck said.

“Oh god-” Their heads snapped up as Chimney walked in. “No more charades. I don’t even want to think about what you’d do for other films, Buck. I’m still scarred from Free Willy.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m great at charades.”

“Could be better.” Eddie hummed thoughtfully. Buck rounded on Eddie once more, lips curling.

“Oh really? Because, you see, I thought you liked my charades, that you wanted to play again.” 

“Of course I want to play again.” Eddie hummed. “You need to practice. I’m all about helping out a friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and the lovely comments on the last chapters :) I'll try to update again soon!


	5. Rules are important

Buck grimaced against the smell as he shuffled further down the storm drain, the water rippled around his legs kicking up the foul smell more. He loved his job, he really did, but sometimes, God sometimes he fucking hated his job.

“PARKER?!” Buck called. A drip fell, somewhere deep within the maze of tunnels, it echoed through the metal. “LAFD, ANYONE DOWN HERE?” Again there was no reply. “This is disgusting.” he said glowering at a floating...something, swaying past him. 

“I don’t want a relationship.” Buck’s attention was snatched at Eddie’s blurted confession. 

“What?” Buck asked.

“I don’t want a relationship.” Eddie repeated, slowly, like Buck’s hearing was the problem and not the fact that Eddie was declaring his apparent aversion to relationships while they were knee-deep in dirty water. 

“Um-” Buck said eloquently. “Okay?” His foot landed wrong on a rock hidden beneath the surface, sending him flailing forwards, for one horrifying moment Buck thought he was going to go careening face-first into the filthy water only for the breath to be jerked out of him as his top tried to strangle him when Eddie caught the back of it to keep him from falling. Buck struggled back to standing, loosening his shirt around his now aching throat.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” Buck grimaced down at the dirty water, a sore throat was worth it if it meant he didn’t have to swim in that. “Thanks. Let’s go.” He pushed on, sliding his feet across the bottom of the storm drain to avoid any more trip hazards. If he could get out of there without getting any wetter he’d count it as a win. 

“You’re okay with that?”

“With you saving me from swimming in sewage? Yeah man, I’m gr-”

“No the...The not wanting a relationship thing.”

“I mean, It’s not really any of my business.” Buck said with a shrug, steering his flashlight down the nearest tunnel. 

“I kind of made it your business when I invited you over Sunday.”

“I thought Sunday was just for fun. Not a relationship.”

“It is. That’s what I’m saying, this...it’s not, I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t want one, I just-”

“Want to bust a nut?” Buck hummed, peering down the opposite turning. It looked the same as the rest, dark, dirty, somewhere Buck would rather not be but, well, when some dumbass kid decides that they’re gonna find IT and gets lost in the sewer while the 118 is on duty where Buck wants to be doesn’t matter. “Let’s check this way.” Buck said, squelching down the turn

“Buck, I’m serious.”

“So am I,” Buck said, a quick point of the flashlight at Eddie's face showed that a deep frown was working its way across his face. “Eddie, dude, I didn’t agree to come to yours because I thought we were gonna be preparing our vows. I agreed because I figured we were both looking for the same thing.”

“To bust a nut?” Eddie asked. Buck laughed, it echoed through the pipe, rippling off the water.

“Exactly.” Eddie’s frown was still in place. “Look, man, I’m not looking for a relationship either. I got what you were offering and I’m down for that. Whether it’s a one, or well, at this point I guess more of a three-time deal or it’s a regular fuck buddy arrangement. I’m good and I’m not looking to be anything other than your friend who happens to help give you orgasms from time to time.”

“Good, that’s.. good.” 

“Great.” 

“I just think if we’re doing this we should have some rules:”

“Rules?” Buck pondered. “You mean like a safe word?”

“Aye Dios Mio.” Eddie groaned. “No, Buck, not a safe word. I just mean we need to know that we understand each other and what we’re expecting out of this.”

“So rules like what?”

“Well, I don’t know yet. We have until Sunday to figure it out though: For now rule one or I guess. Disclaimer one, we’re not in a relationship.” Buck snorted “What? you just said you were okay with that.” 

“No, I am. You just sounded like you were in a bad 80s romcom.”

“...what?” Eddie asked,

“You know, like-“ Buck spun to face him, walking backward as he shined his flashlight under his chin. “Rule one. Don’t fall in love with me.” He purred. Eddie raised an eyebrow, Bucks heel slammed against a rock sending him tipping over with a yell. This time Eddie didn’t catch him.

Buck came up from the filthy water spluttering, bile rising in his throat as Eddie cackled above him

“Don’t think that’ll be a problem.” He grinned

“Oh god-“ Buck gagged. Eddie laughed louder, reaching for his radio.

“Hey Cap, get a towel ready for Buck.” 

“Everything okay?” Bobby’s voice replied almost instantly. 

“Yeah, he just decided to take a swim.” Eddie said. Buck hauled himself off of the floor, torrents of water running off of him. Eddie moved past him, shining his flashlight beneath his chin in a mockery of Buck’s former stunt. 

“Rule two. You’re going to need to shower at least a dozen times if you still want to come over Sunday.” 

“I hate you so much.” Buck whined.

*

“Is this going to be a more than three-time thing?” Buck asked six showers and one traffic accident later “Because if it is I have a rule, well, not a rule, a statement? A ‘need to know’.”

“What is it, Buck?” Eddie asked, sweeping sweat off of his brow as they packed up the equipment.

“I’m not going to sleep with anyone else.” Buck muttered, voice low as Bobby carried the jaws past them back to the truck. “You can, I don’t care about that. If you want to hook up with someone on a Wednesday and I’m busy then you know, go ahead, but if you think it’s even slightly serious with someone else then we stop. I don’t want to be sitting at your wedding one day knowing I was banging you two hours after your first date with your blushing bride.”

“You think I’d sleep with you after I’ve just been on a first date?”

“Hey man, blue balls make idiots of the best of us.” Buck shrugged. “And you’re certainly not the best.” Buck dodged the fist aimed at his arm with a laugh and raced after Bobby before Eddie could get another word in.

*

“Christopher can’t find out.”

“What?” Buck blinked, peering around the gym as if he’d spot Christopher hidden in the corner. “Can’t find out what?”

“About Sunday, or any other time we-” Eddie made a hand gesture that would leave Buck convinced Eddie had never so much as looked at another person naked if he didn’t know first hand that was untrue. 

“Any time we what?” Buck asked, lips tilting in a small smirk. Eddie leveled him a flat glare.

“I’m serious, Buck. If we’re doing this Christopher can’t know.”

“Oh, no, You mean I can’t tell Christopher his dad’s fucking me while he’s out?”Buck said dryly. “You know that’s a deal-breaker for me, call off Sunday because-”

“Forget it.” Eddie huffed, stomping away.

“Eddie. Ed, come on man.” Buck snorted. “I wouldn’t tell Christopher, the fact you think you have to tell me not to mention to Christopher that we’re-”

“I don’t think you’ll tell him.” Eddie scoffed. “Why the hell would I think you’d tell him?”

“I don’t know. If you don’t think I’ll tell him why are you telling me not to tell him?

“I’m not telling you not to tell him I’m saying he can’t find out. They’re very different.”

“How?!” Buck said. 

“Look it’s just. Rule three, Christopher doesn’t find out.”

“He’s going to be out, the only way he’d know is if one of us told him. I’m not going to tell him, are you?”

“No!” Eddie hissed.

“Then it’s a pointless rule.”

“It’s still a rule.” Eddie said, stalking off again, This time Buck let him go.

*

“I see your “Christopher doesn’t find out” and raise you _ no one _ finds out.” Buck said, sliding up next to Eddie at the island. “I mean, I think we’re both a lot more likely to tell someone other than Christopher and I for one would rather Hen and Chim don’t know.”

“Know what?” Hen asked, walking over, Chimney at her side both looking far too interested for Buck’s liking. He wracked his mind for an answer that wasn’t the truth.

“Buck got so drunk he threw up after the games night.” Eddie lied easily. Grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl and strolling away.

“You threw up?” Hen laughed. 

“Thanks man. Buck sighed.

*

Over the next few shifts, Buck found himself growing used to Eddie muttering rules at him whenever they had a moment alone so when Eddie popped up next to Bucks bunk two minutes after Buck had said he was going to bed he wasn’t surprised.

”We don’t spend the night.” Eddie said.

“Not even arrived yet and you’re already trying to kick me out.” Buck yawned. “Sure you want me to come?” 

“I don’t want to have to race home to shower again before having to pick Christopher up and it would be hard to explain why you’re there when he wakes up.” 

“Sure okay, no sleepovers. Now let me sleep.” Buck said, shoving Eddie away from his bunk.

*

“I have another rule.” Buck blinked the water out of his eyes as he stepped out of the shower cubicle, towel wrapped loosely around his waist. He squinted through the soft haze of steam to find Eddie across the room clad in nothing more than a towel, no doubt ready to shower and go home. He shifted from foot to foot eyes moving across everything that wasn’t Buck.

“Yeah?” Buck hummed, wiping the water droplets from his face with one hand and taking a step towards his pile of clothes. Eddie’s shoulders tensed, his fingers tightened on his towel in a white knuckle grip.

Buck paused midstep, brow furrowing. He looked uncomfortable. Body slightly hunched, eyes still evading him. 

“You alright man?”

“Yeah, I just..have another rule.” Eddie repeated slowly. It did nothing to alleviate the worry coiling in him. He’d thought they were done with rules, Eddie hadn’t come up with any new ones in two days, hadn’t even mentioned their...appointment, the next day since the no sleeping over rule was placed. 

What if Eddie didn’t want to anymore. What if the real reason behind the rules wasn’t that Eddie wanted them there and was that he was hoping he’d scare Buck off. 

“You don’t need to find an excuse to cancel, man.” Buck started “If you’ve changed your mind I get it, that’s fine. Just say you don’t want me to come round, or that you only want to watch a movie or something. You don’t have to-“

“I haven’t changed my mind.” Eddie said. 

“Dude it’s fine, really-”

“No sex outside of our places.” He blurted

“What?”

“The new rule.” He clarified. “No sex-”

“No. I heard you I just...I mean, why would that be a rule, where else are we going to-” Eddie raised an eyebrow.

“Wha-” Eddie tilted his chin ever so slightly towards the shower cubicle Buck had just exited. Buck blinked at the unassuming door curiously, his eyes flickered back to Eddie, question on the tip of his tongue before he found himself meeting Eddie’s dark gaze and the realization of what Eddie was saying washed over him “Oh.” He breathed, eyes skimming down over eddies chest. “Oh.” He repeated, mouth feeling dry as he thought about just how easy it would be to step back into the stall, how Eddie would follow him in. 

“I didn’t change my mind.” Eddie said. 

“I’m getting that.” Buck said.

“Good. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” Eddie said, brushing past him and waltzing into the shower like he hadn’t just left Buck with the bluest case of blue balls he’d ever experienced.

“Fuck.” Buck wheezed. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you or reading! i'm sorry it's so short, i'll try and update again soon!


	6. Chapter 6

_ Just knock  _ Buck thought desperately as he glared at the familiar front door. He’d done it a million times since meeting Eddie, hell, last time they’d hung out at Eddie's place Buck had gotten a text telling him to let himself in with a spare key because Christopher’s playdate had ran late. 

He shouldn’t be filled with snakes constricting his stomach and windpipe at the mere idea of knocking on his friend’s door.

But then, it wasn’t his friend’s door, not in the same way it was the last time he’d come round. Because while it was the same person it wasn’t for the same innocent reasons that usually 

brought him knocking at the door.

And that, that was what had been making him pause for the past half hour. 

Yesterday he’d felt ready to march right into Eddie’s house whipping his clothes off as he went because he’d been sure that Eddie would follow right along behind him. Now though, now he’d had a night to linger on the thought, he’d had the drive over the to consider greetings, to wonder what Eddie expected.

Would there be small talk? Was he meant to ask about lunch? About Christopher and Isabel?

Or would that be strange, Too friendly for what they were about to do?

Probably, bringing up family members wasn’t exactly a good way to set the mood.

Buck let out a weak groan.

Was he just meant to jump Eddie? Would Eddie just jump him? Was he meant to just start stripping?

Should he have done more than have a shower and shove a condom and a packet of lube in his pocket as preparation. 

Bucks head hit the door with a thump. He used to be good at this. Used to be able to go from “ _ Hello” _ to “ _ my what a lovely clit piercing you have _ ” in the span of a conversation and now he couldn’t even knock on a door.

Buck 2.0 sucked.

It shouldn’t feel awkward, he’d been invited specifically for sex. It wasn’t like he was just jumping the gun and hoping. He should be able to swagger in knowing full well all he had to do was just not be shit in bed, something he was very confident in, should knock and when Eddie opened the door kiss him. Get right to business

It was a hookup, nothing more. It was exactly the same as the thousand times he’d swiped right on someone and showed up on their doorstep with a cheesy first line and smile that could make kittens swoon. 

Eddie wanted the same, they agreed. Wham bam thank you ma’am, that was it. There was nothing to think about.

He heard the soft shuffle of footsteps inside and only had a second to rip his head away from its resting place on the door before it was being tugged open. Eddie’s eyes widened, bulging as he blinked at Buck like he was surprised to find Buck on the doorstep. Which, judging by the trash bag in his hand he probably was.

“Uh ..hi.” Buck squeaked.

“Hi,” Eddie said. “Did you...I didn’t hear you knock.”

“No yeah, I uh..hadn’t yet, just got here.” Buck said, technically he got there half an hour before but he wasn’t about to admit to that.

“Right. Come in, I gotta -” Eddie gestured with the trash bag. Buck nodded. The two inched past each other in the doorway like germaphobes on a slowly crowding subway cart. Buck told himself it would be weird to kiss someone when they were holding a trash bag but he knew from the sweat quickly dampening his palms that he just didn’t know  _ how  _ to do it when it was Eddie rather than some veritable stranger. When he’d spent so long fighting against the part of him that used sex as a crutch.

This wasn’t the same, not really, he knew that. This wasn’t him trying to fill some void with sex this was just him being horny and bored of his own hand. This was two friends helping each other through a dry spell.

It was….weird. Buck decided as Eddie came back in and shut the door with a soft click behind him.

Buck rubbed his palms on his jeans, both to wipe off the dampness and to give him something to do as he hovered.

It wasn’t supposed to be weird. They were meant to just get to it. Make a dumb joke about charades. He was meant to feel the heat of desire pooling in his stomach not the creeping tendrils of anxiety. 

“Do you want a drink or something?” Eddie asked. 

“Yeah, that’d be...yeah.” Buck said, nodding so hard he jarred his neck. Eddie nodded back looking no less stilted before he was turning on his heel and making his way to the kitchen. For a moment Buck debated sitting down to wait. For a smaller moment, he entertained the idea of just running out of the front door and sending Eddie a text saying they should just forget the whole thing happened.

His feet took him after Eddie, steps robotic.

“What do you want?” Eddie asked ducking into the fridge. “I’ve got water and uh-” Eddie paused, blinking into the fridge for a moment before he shut it with a soft snap. “Water.” He finished lamely, hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck. “Sorry I thought there was a few sodas left. Is water okay?”

“Water’s good.” Buck said, Eddie moved to grab a glass. Buck tapped a beat against his thigh as the tap slowly began to fill the glass. He listened to the glugging of the sink as it eagerly drank the spilled drops of water. 

“Sorry,” Eddie said again, shoving the cool glass of water into Buck’s hands before he retreated to the other side of the kitchen, resting against the counter arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“It’s fine.” Buck said. “No better way to stay hydrated right?“ He regretted the words the moment they were out of his mouth.

_ No better way to stay hydrated? Who said shit like that?  _ Buck drank greedily from his glass to hide the grimace his own words had worked onto his face

“I heard that apparently drinking things with a bit of sugar in them like Koolaid or watered down fruit juice is actually better for hydrating quickly.” Eddie said. Buck blinked around the rim of his glass, looking to Eddie whose lips were twisted into a sneer at his own words, no doubt wondering why they were having a conversation about hydration of all things.

“That’s good to know.” Buck lied. Eddie nodded, eyes shifting to the cabinets.

“It’s, there’s usually more drinks-” Eddie muttered. Like Buck wasn’t fully aware of that. “It’s...I usually go shopping on Sundays and I haven’t been yet so we’re out of pretty much everything.”

“I’m not stopping you am I?” Buck asked. “Like, you’re not going to not be able to eat tonight because-”

“No, no I, I usually go just before I pick up Christopher so I’ll just go after.” Eddie said. 

After, like it was another check on a to-do list. For a brief moment Buck’s eyes flicked to the fridge to the list he knew was hanging on it as if he’d find fuck Buck penciled in between do the laundry and grocery shopping. “Later.” Eddie amended, voice strained. “I’ll go ..later.” 

“Cool.”

“Yep.” Eddie said, popping the P. Buck sipped his glass of water, eyes skittering around the kitchen. Eddie filled his cheeks with air and started swishing it around his mouth like the tick of a clock. Buck accidentally met his gaze. Eddie froze, cheeks still puffed up like a chipmunk. Buck fought the irrational urge to copy him and start popping his cheeks too in the hopes it would somehow camouflage him.

He took another sip of water, something he regretted the moment he had to swallow and was all too aware of the sound of it in the otherwise quiet room. Eddie’s eyes dipped back to the floor as he started to swish the air in his mouth again.

When he’d first started his foray into Buck 1.0 he’d had some awkward hookups but none this  _ weird _ .

“Maybe this was a bad idea.” Buck said slowly, the words tasted wrong. But there was a line, a line that so far they could pretend to only have skated along the edge of. A drunken hookup was easy to ignore. A tipsy fumble on his kitchen floor was skirting the line like a tire catching a curb. But this, actually hooking up without a lick of alcohol in their blood and a week’s worth of planning involved, that wouldn’t be on the ‘we can forget it’ side anymore.

If they stopped now they could pretend they hadn’t crossed that line. Like dipping a toe into the water, something that lingered for a moment but then was forgotten about. 

The air squelched out of Eddie’s cheeks in a slow drawl, his eyes raised slowly to meet Bucks once again. Buck wanted him to disagree. Wanted him to take one for the goddamn team and march over and kiss him until any logical thought was replaced. 

“Yeah, Probably.” Eddie said slowly. Buck ignored the flare of disappointment.

“Okay.” Buck said, putting his glass down on the counter. “Well… I should go.” Once again Eddie made no attempt to stop him. Just waved an arm in the direction of the door, when Buck made no move to move Eddie did, brushing past Buck leaving Buck following him like a duckling.

He watched Eddie’s feet pat against the floor, he remembered how he sounded moving through Buck’s apartment, how his footsteps had been so light and yet had echoed in Buck’s head as he knew that Eddie was following him.

Eddie opened the door and turned to him, his eyes met Bucks for a brief second before they were dancing around the room again, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.

“I’ll see you at work.” Eddie said, free hand scratching at his cheek. Buck bobbed his head.

“Yeah.” neither of them moved.

It was ridiculous, he wanted this yesterday. Eddie had wanted it yesterday, had put a damn rule in place because he wanted it so bad and now they could barely look at each other.

Buck took a halting step towards the open doorway. Of course they couldn’t look at each other now. Last night, the entire week, it had just been talk. It was one thing to want something and another entirely to act on it. 

Buck’s tongue darted over his lips as he paused on the doorstep, eyes finding Eddie again. 

It was a terrible idea, it was over a line that Buck knew they would never really be able to come back from. 

“I should go.” Buck said again. Unmoving from his place on the doorstep.

“Yeah.” Eddie said. His eyes dropped, landing on Buck’s lips and Buck couldn’t stop himself from returning the gesture gaze running over the curve of Eddie’s lips.

It was a terrible idea, because if planning it was dipping a toe in the pool then actually going through with it was cannonballing into the middle of the ocean fully clothed. 

Eddie’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his tongue brushed over his bottom lip. Buck wondered how they tasted without the taint of beer staining them. He raised his gaze once more.

“I love cannonballs.” Buck breathed. A furrow formed on Eddie’s brow as his attention was torn from Buck’s lips.

“Wh-” Buck stole the question from Eddie’s mouth.

Any lingering dread that maybe Eddie was smart enough to actually want him to leave vanished as Eddie’s lips moved against his almost instantly. Hands fisting in his shirt to yank him back in over the threshold. The door clicked shut and Buck found himself being shoved against it. Eddie’s mouth moving hungrily against his, warm hands gripping his hips. And fuck, that was why he came, why jumping in knowing full well there was no chance in hell he’d swim back to shore unscathed was a problem for later. 

The awkwardness was gone, replaced with wandering hands and stuttering gasps. He tugged Eddie closer, one hand fisting in his hair to tilt his head upwards so he could lick into his mouth in a way he was already learning made Eddie keen.

“Bedroom.” Buck decided. “We should-” 

“Yeah.” Eddie agreed, pressing another dizzying kiss to Buck's lips, hands skirting against Bucks sides again. Something Buck knew would be detrimental to their journey to the bedroom and as much as Buck would have loved to let himself get swept away in it like the other week and just end in a pile on the floor he knew that it would leave them with uncomfortable bruises. 

Buck reached down, bowing slightly to reach Eddie’s thighs so he could hike the man up and get them to the bedroom. At least, that was what he’d hoped to do, instead his forehead met Eddie’s with a bang that made Buck's teeth rattle.

“Ow fuck-” Buck hissed, clutching his head as it throbbed hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. Through the misty haze, he could see Eddie doing the same. “Why were you bending? Jesus” He whined.

“I was going to pick you up. Why were you bending?!” Eddie groaned, scrubbing a hand across the angry red splodge on his forehead.

“I was trying to pick you up!” Buck exclaimed.“Why would you try to pick me up? There’s no way you’d be able to lift me.”

“Uh, Yeah, Buck, there is.” Eddie scoffed. “I’ve lifted people heavier than you at work.”

“Yeah but that’s in a fireman’s carry.” Buck said. “That’s totally different to a-” Buck trailed off, brain tumbling as he searched for the words. “-Sex carry?” he tried. “Koala carry? Man what is that kind of lifting someone called?”

“It doesn’t matter what it’s called. The point is I could definitely lift you.”

“No, man, you couldn’t. It’s a totally different weight distribution to a fireman carry.”

“No shit.” Eddie huffed. “You’re not the first person I’ve koala carried.”

“So we’re going with koala carry” Buck intoned. Eddie shrugged.

“It’s more likely than sex carry.” He said. “And you know, if anything I’m surprised you think you can carry me.”

“Why?” Buck gaped.

“I’m a bit bigger than the girls people always say you hooked up with.”

“So?”

“So I have more muscle, which weighs more.”

“No shit.” Buck said. “Look, man, If one of us couldn’t pick up the other it would be you. I have more bulk and I’m taller than you.” Buck huffed.

“You being taller doesn’t matter. Height’s not the problem here it’s strength and I’m stronger than you.” Eddie said calmly. Buck scoffed, tongue jabbing the side of his cheeks as he stood up straighter, forgetting about the aching of his head.

“You’re stronger than me?” He drawled.

“Yes.”

“You really think you’re stronger than me?”

“I’ve been through military training and I work out more than you do. So yeah, Buck, I’m stronger than you.”

“Prove it.” Buck said.

“What?”

“Prove it, me and you arm wrestle.” Buck challenged. Eddie let out a scoff of laughter, Buck raised an eyebrow. The smile on Eddie’s face fell.

“You’re serious?” Eddie asked. Buck shoved past him, making his way quickly back to the kitchen, he heard Eddie following slowly, footsteps padding softly against the floorboards. Buck dropped into one of the seats, slamming his elbow onto the table hard enough to make it rattle. Eddie watched him from the doorway. 

“Come on man.” He said, nodding to the free seat opposite him.

“This is ridiculous.” Eddie huffed. Buck wiggled his fingers invitingly.

“Hey man, if you don’t think you can beat me-“

“I know I can beat you.” Eddie said Buck couldn’t help the derisive snort that burst from him.

“Then come try and prove it.” Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose, a groan slipping out of him.

“No puedo creer que quiero acostarme con este idiota. “ He said lowly.

“You know I don’t have to speak Spanish to understand idiota, right?” Buck said. “Now stop stalling, let’s do this.” Eddie clicked his tongue, lips lifting as a small huff of laughter slipped out.

“Fine.” He finally relented, dropping into the empty seat and steadying his elbow against the table. 

“Try not to cry when you lose.” Buck grinned. Eddie’s palm slapped against his, calloused fingers tightening around the bones in Bucks hand warningly.

“We could make it interesting.” Buck squeezed back just as tight. Eddie’s lips curled further in a smirk.

“What were you thinking?” Buck asked, Eddie’s hand tightened again, this time hard enough to leave Buck biting the inside of his lip to stop the soft gasp of pain coming as his bones crunched together. There was a chance Eddie was stronger than he’d thought.

.”-whoever wins tops” Eddie suggested calmly.

“We could.” Buck hummed thoughtfully. “But even after I win I want you to fuck me.” Eddie’s eyes bulged, his lips parting as the crushing grip he had on Buck's hand started to loosen. “All I’ve been able to think about this week is having your dick in me.” He purred, teeth grazing his lower lip. Any tension Eddie had on his hand vanished, his throat working, eyes locked firmly on Buck’s lips. Buck quickly flexed, pushing against Eddie’s arm with all the force he could. Eddie’s hand slammed to the table with a resounding crack that had the legs rattling against the floorboards

“YES! Suck it, Diaz! I’m stronger!” Buck cheered heartily, throwing his hands over his head in celebration.

“You cheated!” Eddie said.

“Hey man, not my fault if you were distracted.” Buck shrugged. Eddie scowled. “Fine, we can make it best two out of three.” The two slapped their palms together again. Elbows poised on the table. “You know-” Buck started.

“Go.” Eddie grunted, pushing against Buck’s palm. Buck tensed as quick as he could, but even as pushed back he could see his arm inching closer to the table. 

_ No way  _ Buck thought desperately trying to lean all his weight behind his arm. His bicep bulged, lip curling. For a moment he thought he had it, Eddie’s hand paused, giving Buck back a centimeter before his grip was tightening and Eddie was pushing again, harder than before. The back of Buck's hand hit the table with a dull thunk. Eddie stood up. Buck blinked at his hand, still laying limply on the table.

“What the fuck.” Buck said eloquently. “What the fuck Eddie, how did you...You cheated!” He decided, despite knowing full well it wasn’t true.

“I didn’t cheat, Buck.” Eddie snorted. “Not all of us have to cheat to win an arm wrestle.” Buck felt himself puffing up in anger.

“I don’t need to cheat.” Buck argued. “I was messing around. I could beat you.” Eddie’s eyes flickered to the table, the unmistakable ‘well you didn’t’ written all over his face.

“This is bullshit.” Buck huffed.

“It’s not a big deal.” Eddie said, “should we-”

“Not a big deal?” Buck hissed. “You just...No, I want a rematch!”

“Buck-”

“Come on man!” he insisted, scurrying over to block Eddie from leaving the kitchen. Eddie looked up at him, eyebrows silently judging him. “Best two out of three.”

“Buck.” Eddie tried again.

“I can beat you this time.” Buck said seriously, he knew he could, there was no way Eddie could beat him twice in a row. “That was a flu-” Buck would never admit to the shrill shriek that left his mouth as Eddie hoisted him up without warning, Buck barely had time to flail his arms like a concerned octopus before his back was slamming against the wall adjacent to the kitchen doorway, Eddie’s body pinning him in place. Buck’s hands settled on Eddie’s shoulders, long legs dangling around his waist as his heart thundered in his chest. Eddie met his gaze, the warmth from his hands pooling through the underside of Buck's thighs.

“Buck.” Eddie said steadily. Buck felt his throat bobbing as he swallowed, eyes flickering over Eddie’s face. “Can we  _ please  _ go to the bedroom?”

“I suppose we can postpone the rematch.” Buck murmured.

“That’s very considerate of you.” Eddie hummed lips pursing adorably as he gave a sarcastic nod of agreement.

“I’ll win next time.”

“I really don’t care.” Eddie decided, sealing their mouths together. Buck couldn’t bring himself to feel insulted of Eddie’s dismissal. Instead, he latched onto Eddie as best he could, curling his legs around his waist in the way he’d felt so many people do to him before, pressing their bodies closer as he sucked on Eddie’s lower lip.

The support behind his back vanished, body shifting as Eddie stepped back. Buck could feel the muscles tensing under his top as he took Buck’s full weight and began to walk blindly in the direction of the bedroom. 

It was hot. Kinda weird, but hot. Sure he’d hooked up with guys before and sure there had been muscled ones but, well, none that had even entertained the idea of picking him up, let alone any that could have actually done it, certainly not any that could lift him, walk and kiss him senseless at the same time.

He could feel Eddie’s muscles shifting against him as he walked, feel the way they tensed as Buck’s teeth caught his lower lip even before Eddie’s mouth vibrated against his in a breathy moan.

Eddie tipped towards and Buck took it as his cue to let go, letting himself drop the short distance to the bed. He let out a surprised breath as his back hit the mattress, ready to rib Eddie about how he would have put someone down more gently, because he was stronger and had that control. The urge vanished as the breath got stuck in his throat the moment he spotted Eddie over, one knee on the bed as he towered over him yanking his top over his head to reveal the hard planes of muscle. He could feel heat pooling low in his gut, aching and intoxicating. 

He sat back up, lips finding Eddie’s before the man had managed to finish getting his shirt over his eyes. 

“Fuck-” Eddie hissed, indulging him for a second before Buck found himself slamming against the mattress again this time Eddie followed him down, teeth grazing his throat and sucking hard.

“The manhandling thing. Super hot.” Buck confessed. Eddie’s lips unlatched from his neck.

“Told you I could lift you.” He murmured. Eddie’s warm breath ghosted over the wet patch on his neck sending goosebumps prickling over Bucks skin. Buck snatched Eddie’s chin before he could return to his place on his neck, kissing him hot and deep until Eddie was moaning into his mouth.

“I’m still taller.” Buck breathed as they broke. A huff of laughter danced over Buck's lips.

“Size doesn’t matter.” Eddie said.

“Keep telling yourself that.” Buck grinned. 

“You really want me to go get a measuring tape?” Eddie hummed, lips latching onto Buck’s neck once again.

“Maybe later.” Buck chuckled, Eddie’s hand pressed over the bulge in Buck’s jeans leaving him keening as his hip shifted upwards, chasing the friction. “Much later.” Buck added.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading :) I'll try and update again soon  
And thank you so much Kit for helping me with this (and every other) chapter. I'd never have been able to get this far in this fic without you <3


	7. and so it begins

“You know-“ Buck said, grimacing around the mouthful of stale cracker. Eddie looked up from where he was idly fishing through a bag of half-eaten chips for any that weren’t horrendously stale. “This isn’t actually the worst after sex meal I’ve ever been given.” 

“Really?” Eddie mused, finally picking out a chip with a triumphant smile, a smile that vanished as he bit into it and no doubt found it as soggy as Buck’s packet of stale crackers.

“Really.” Buck said, holding back a laugh as Eddie’s lip curled in distaste even as he continued chewing the old chip. “So I’m with this girl right, we finish it’s great we’re gearing up for round two but then my stomach starts to rumble and she like freaks out something about her ex passing out from low blood sugar mid-orgasm one time.” Eddie snorted a laugh, a spray of Dorito flying over the kitchen, Buck grinned. “-Dude I know. But so I’m like alright do you have anything to eat? I’ll eat something then we can get back to it and she rolls over and pulls a bowl of cereal out from under her bed. Like, fully made already, milk and everything and hands it to me and then she just stared at me until I ate the whole bowl. It was so warm and soggy and I swear some of those lumps were not cereal.” Eddie’s lips lifted into a sneer of disgust.

“You actually ate it?” He said incredulously.

“She was really hot.”

“It was under her bed!” Eddie hissed.

“Like, really hot.” Buck stressed. 

“You’re disgusting.”

“Says you, pretty sure that last chip actually had mold on it.” Buck lied. Eddie’s eyes snapped down the bag of chips in his hand suspiciously before he oh so carefully put them down.

“I need to go shopping.” He decided.

“You really do man.” Buck said, shoving another stale cracker into his mouth. “These are gross.”

“Then stop eating them.”

“But I’m hungry.”

“Then go home and eat.”

“That your subtle way of telling me it’s time to leave?” Buck grinned.

“Yes.” Eddie said unapologetically. “There’s no way I’m kissing you again with that shit lingering in your mouth.”

Buck put down the half-finished packet of crackers and swaggered across the kitchen. Despite Eddie’s words, the second Buck was within his vicinity the older man was opening his legs to give Buck room to settle between them.

“Who says we have to kiss?” Buck hummed thoughtfully, hands skimming up Eddie’s thighs. “There’s a lot I can do with my mouth that’s not kissing.” Eddie licked his lips. Buck couldn’t help the smirk that twisted onto his face as Eddie’s eyes dropped to look at his mouth.

“I really do need to go grocery shopping.” He said weakly.

“Why go grocery shopping when you can eat this ass?” Eddie’s lips twisted, his head bowing as his body started to jolt beneath Buck’s hands from badly repressed laughter. Buck grinned smugly as something that sounded suspiciously like ‘idiot’ slipped past Eddie’s lips hidden amongst an honest to god giggle.

*

“That’s Hygenic.” Buck snorted as Eddie sprayed a month worth of deodorant over his body.

“I don’t have time to shower.” Eddie mumbled, still spraying. Buck hacked out a cough.

“Seriously man that’s enough.” He choked. Eddie tossed the aerosol down and picked up Bucks shirt.

“Get dressed-” Eddie said, Buck dodged the henley that was launched at his face. “I have to pick Christopher up soon and I still need to go shopping.”

“Cutting it real close there, Diaz.” Buck hummed, leisurely inching into his shirt. “Maybe next time you should set an alarm, you know, in case you get distracted.” Eddie paused momentarily to shoot him a glare. “Relax man, you still have time.” He said, hopping into his jeans and meeting Eddie at the door only to take a few quick steps back. “Jesus christ dude, that was way too much deodorant.”

“I’m not turning up to my Abuela’s smelling like a porno.” Eddie huffed.

“Weirdly enough I don’t think she would have recognized the smell of sex.” Buck said. “She might, however, question why you smell like a sixteen-year-old who watched one too man axe commercials.”

”She has a nose like a bloodhound. Do you have everything?” Eddie didn’t wait for an answer before he was ushering Buck through the house and out onto the front step. Not that Buck could blame him, a glance at the clock on his way through the living room told him that they had gotten a bit carried away. Eddie locked the door behind them.

“Same time next week?” He asked, already jogging towards his car. 

“I’ll see if I can pencil you in.” Buck replied as Eddie hopped into his truck and shoved the keys into the ignition. “You know I can still smell you from here, might want to roll the windows down, air out a bit.” Buck called. Eddie pressed his middle finger to the glass as he pulled away prompting a chuckle to rise in Buck’s throat as he moved to his own car.

*

Buck was well aware that at times he could have dumb ideas. That sometimes logic gave way for impulse and he ended up metaphorically shooting himself in the foot and as such he was very glad when three weeks had passed and it turned out that sleeping with Eddie wasn’t one of those times. The world hadn’t crumbled from beneath their feet, the sky hadn’t fallen around them. Just like Buck had hoped nothing had really changed since they’d started sleeping together apart from both being blessed with weekly orgasms.

Sure, he’d found himself popping the occasional boner at inappropriate times and if Eddie’s flushed cheeks while watching Buck work out was anything to go by then he was having the same problem.

A problem that lead him to being shoved against the side of the ladder truck on his way to the changing rooms and having his mouth devoured by Eddie. It was far from a shock, not when Buck had been fighting the urge to do the same thing since the first time he’d seen Eddie that day.

The main difference between pre-bang and post-bang was that the week seemed to drag on for a millennium only for Sunday to fly past in the blink of an eye. He knew that he should be thankful for the fact that his dry spells now consisted of six days as opposed to his previous six or so months between Ali leaving and him and Eddie striking up a friends with benefits deal but he couldn’t help but find himself thinking that a few hours on Sunday didn’t feel like enough, not when Eddie was around him all the time. So he was more than happy for Eddie to prove that he wasn’t the only one being haunted by blue balls during the week.

“Fuck” Buck hissed as they pulled away for air, leaning further into Eddie. “Someone could see us-” Eddie threw open the door to the truck. Buck didn’t need any more prompting, he darted in with a speed that he only ever normally used when they got a call. Something he’d have been embarrassed about if Eddie didn’t follow just as quickly, shutting the door with enough force the glass shook in its pane.

Buck wasted no time in claiming his mouth again, sinking into the kiss as the two stumbled around the cramped space getting lost in the feeling of the other’s lips and wandering hands. It wasn’t long before Buck found himself straddling Eddie’s lap panting into his mouth as he felt the telltale brush of hardness beneath his thigh.

“We need to stop.” It seemed his body had a different idea, hips rolling to meet Eddie’s as his fingers plucked at the buttons of Eddie’s shirt.

“We will.” Eddie gasped, hands on Buck’s waist leading him enthusiastically in grinding their crotches together again. Buck let out a moan, head flopping to rest on Eddie’s shoulder as he let himself get lost in the feel of their hips rolling and Eddie’s warm skin beneath his fingers. He could feel the smile on Eddie’s face as the man sucked a hot mark into his collar bone where it would barely be hidden by the curve of his work shirts. 

His hand snaked from his waist towards the front of his pants, fingers teasing the zip. Somewhere a door slammed, Buck jolted back into awareness.

“Fuck no, seriously stop.” He ordered, grabbing Eddie’s wrist to stop the fingers creeping into his pants. Eddie’s fingers froze.

“Sorry.” Eddie said, tugging his hand out of bucks grip. “Sorry it was a stupid idea I-” Eddie broke off, a red tint dusting his cheeks as he blinked up at him, lips an abused red that left Buck swaying back towards him shaking his head like he was possessed.

“No man, no. It was a  _ great  _ idea.” Buck said. “And I think I’m actually killing a part of me by stopping it but I’ll be fired if Bobby finds us.” The deer in headlights expressions ebbed off of Eddie’s face at the explanation. 

“I’m pretty sure we’d both be fired.” Eddie chuckled. “That’s why we don’t get caught.” And, yeah, that, that sounded like a good idea. For a moment Buck’s mind flickered to all the places in the fire station that were a better idea to hook up than the back of the truck before he remembered Bobby’s  _ you’re fired  _ from so long ago.

“You’d get a slap on the wrist, I...this, it wouldn’t be the first time I got caught on shift.”

“Really?” Eddie asked, eyes flickering over Buck’s face, landing on his lips. Buck felt the heat beginning to pool again as Eddie’s fingers trailed over his hips once again. “What did you get caught doing?”

“Stop that.” Buck said slapping Eddie over the back of the head. 

“Just asking a question.”

“When it’s in that voice it’s not a question it’s an invitation to show you.”

“Well if you want to.” Eddie grinned. Buck felt a laugh bubbling out of him.

“Cut it out man.” 

“Sorry.” Eddie said, not sounding apologetic in the least. “You seriously got caught by Bobby before?”

“More than once.” Buck admitted sheepishly. “I kinda borrowed the truck a few times to hook up with-”

“You stole the truck?” Eddie asked, eyes bulging. 

“Borrowed.” Buck corrected. “Look, I want to, like… I really really want to but I can’t do this at work.”

“Okay.” Eddie said, shifting up the seat which only managed to rub their erections together leaving Buck biting back a litany of swear words.

“Come over after work?” Buck said, barely resisting actually begging.

“I can’t-”

“Eddie- Buck whined. “Come on man, you can’t fucking attack me like this at work and leave me with blue balls until Sunday that’s not fair.”

“I have to get home. Christopher-” Eddie said.

“Fuck, yeah, no of course. Sorry I-” 

“Tomorrow?” Eddie suggested. The hopeful lilt in his voice leaving Buck feeling slightly less pathetic.

“Maddie and Chimney are coming round.” Eddie’s head hit the seats with an audible thump, face twisted in a scowl. “Saturday?” Even as he was speaking Eddie was shaking his head.

“Taking Chris to the aquarium.”

“Okay. So we wait till Sunday.” Buck said, barely hiding his disappointment. Eddie puffed up his cheeks, eyes searching the truck’s roof as if it held answers. After a moment his eyes met Bucks again.

“Or, I mean you could come round tonight.”

“Chris have a sleepover or something?”

“..No.” Eddie said, licking his lips. “But you could come after he’s in bed.” Buck let out a snort of laughter.

“Yeah, Sure.” He grinned.

“I can text you when he’s asleep.”

“Wait you’re serious?”

“Yeah?” Eddie said slowly.

“You want me to come round while Chris is in the house?” Buck said, eyebrows creeping up his head.

“You were round yesterday when Christopher was home.” Eddie said oh so innocently. Buck shot him an unimpressed look.

“To watch a film with him not fuck his dad while he’s trying to count sheep.”

“If you don’t want to-”

“I didn’t say I don’t want to.” Buck huffed, running a hand through his hair. God he wanted to, Sunday seemed like a world away and honestly, Buck was sure his own hand was ruined for him forever the moment he’d felt Eddie’s hand on his dick. “I just... won’t we wake him up?” Eddie’s lips twitched in a smug smile. His hands left bucks waist, moving to start making himself presentable again. 

“He’s a heavy sleeper most of the time.” He shrugged, fingers making quick work of redoing his buttons. “Should be asleep by nine, if that’s not past your bedtime.” He stood up, making his way to the door. Buck hurried to make himself presentable. 

“You know if he finds out I came round after he was asleep he’ll hate us both, right?” Buck said.

“Guess we’ll have to sneak you in.” Eddie said, throwing a wink over his shoulder before he hopped out of the truck to rejoin the working world. Buck scrambled to lean through the window, watching as Eddie wandered towards the stairs oh so calmly like he hadn’t been moments away from fucking Buck in the firetruck where anyone could find them.

“What are you expecting me to do? Climb through your window?” He chuckled.

*

“This is ridiculous.” Buck grumbled as he shimmied through Eddie’s window. Eddie stood waiting for him, dressed in soft-looking sweat pants and, if the lack of underwear peeking out over the low hanging sweats was anything to go by, nothing else. “You know I haven’t had to sneak in through someone’s window since I was like eighteen.”

“You didn’t have to come.” Eddie said. “Could have waited till Sunday.”

“Fuck that man, after that shit you pulled at work I think my dick would actually fall off if I waited for Sunday.” Buck said petulantly brushing off imaginary dirt from his top as if he wasn’t about to throw it to the floor with little care where it ended up. He stopped, tilting to face Eddie as he made a swooping hand gesture. “Well, are you gonna make it up to me or-” Eddie was on him before he could finish, silencing the laugh that was bubbling up Bucks throat as he licked his way into his mouth. Buck let himself be shoved back against the window sill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments on the last chapter and thank you so much Kit for helping me :)


	8. Chapter 8

“Do you think I should get Maddie a cat?” Buck asked as he shimmied into his jeans. Eddie blinked sleepily at him from the bed, raising onto his elbows as his brow pinched.

“What?” He croaked. “Why would you get Maddie a cat?”

“I still haven’t decided on a birthday present.” Buck explained, eyes moving to skirt the floor as he looked for his socks. He grinned as he spotted one poking out beneath Eddie’s dresser.

“And you think she wants a cat?” Eddie drawled. Buck paused in his shuffled across the room to look back to Eddie, clearly judging him.

“You don’t think she wants a cat?” 

“Has she said she wants a cat?” Eddie said slowly.

“No, but she’s always liked cats.”

“I think unless she’s said she wants a cat you shouldn’t buy her a cat.” Eddie said. “Maybe get her a cat plushie.”

“She’s turning thirty-nine, not nine.” Buck huffed. Giving up for his search for the left sock and dropping onto the bed to fight the remaining sock onto his foot. “I just… I wanna get her something good you know? Not just some shitty bottle of wine.” Eddie let out a soft grumble behind him.

“What?” Buck asked, turning his attention from his sock to spot Eddie scowling at him.

“I got her wine.”

“So? You’re not her brother.” Buck said. “And I’m sure you got her like, nice wine, right?”

“It cost six dollars.” Eddie said.

“Okay, so I’m gonna give you a list of gift ideas for my birthday.” 

“Who says I’d get you anything for your birthday?” Eddie said.

“Dude, you’re getting me a present for my birthday. I don’t care if it’s just your dick with a bow on it, I’m getting a gift.”

“Okay just for future reference, me tying a bow around my dick, never gonna happen.”

“Really? You wouldn’t do a dick bow for my birthday?”

“I can’t even tie bows I’m not going to try and tie one around-”

“Well, you don’t have to tie it yourself.”

“Who else is going to tie it? Can’t exactly go to Carla for  _ that  _ favor.”

“I mean you can get like a pre-tied one.”

“A pre-tied dick bow? You see a lot of those in shops?”

“You can get those stick-on ones for presents.” Eddie blinked up at him, eyebrows drawing together as his lips curled upwards at the corner.

“You want me to glue a bow to my dick?”

“What, it’s not like it’s superglue. They peel off easy.”

“Please tell me you don’t know that from experience?” Eddie said, before Buck could answer he was swatting the air, like he was physically slapping Bucks unspoken ‘yes’ away.

“Why are we even talking about this your birthday isn’t for months-”

“Because I’m your best friend and I deserve a dick bow.” Buck huffed,before his mind went back to the real issue at hand, Maddie’s birthday. “You  _ are  _ coming Saturday, right?” Buck asked. Eddie groaned head thumping back against the pillows with a soft clap as he burrowed his face into his hands. “What? I just want to make sure-”

“This is the ninth time you’ve asked me today.” he said, voice muffled against his palms. “Why are you so invested in this? All you’ve been able to talk about for the past month is her birthday.”

“She’s had a tough year.” Buck said. Eddie peeked out between his fingers and Buck diverted his attention to the floor, eyes scanning once again for the sock he still needed to track down. “I just… I want her to start this one better, which it won’t be if she has a crappy birthday because all of her friends forget and don’t turn up.”

He heard the rustling of the sheets and felt the bed dipping as Eddie sat up.

“No one’s going to forget, Buck.” Eddie said softly. “And not just because you’re texting every five minutes to remind us. Everyone knows how she spent her last birthday-” Buck felt bile rising in his throat as he remembered the way she’d still been shuffling around trying not to twist in a way that aggravated the stitches. How he’d driven her to the hospital to visit Chimney, still hooked up to machines as the doctors ensured that his stab wounds were healing properly. “We all want her to have a great day this year.”

“Probably should have gotten her wine that costs more than six dollars then.” Buck mumbled around the lump in his throat, trying to force away the images of her blood glinting against snow. Eddie scoffed.

“Mock my wine again and you’ll be the one getting it for your birthday.”

“Then you wouldn’t have anything for Maddie.”

“I hear Buckley’s like dick bows-”

“I literally hate you.” Buck huffed, pushing himself up off the bed even as he laughed. “I’m going home.” Although he was joking a look to the clock told him it was well past time he actually started on the journey home. Sure they had a later shift tomorrow but he knew Eddie would need to be up in a handful of hours to get Christopher ready for school. 

He slipped his feet into his shoes forgoing anymore searching for his lost sock.

“I’ll walk you to the window.” Eddie said, following him out of the bed and pushing Buck up against the window to claim his mouth in a last kiss that at this point Buck had come to expect.

He was entirely positive that Eddie’s bastardization of chivalry in showing him out the window was less about actually being polite and more about the way he’d lick his way into Buck’s mouth until his jeans were once again feeling tight and his body was pushed so hard against the windowpane that it would give menacing little creaks. A move that no matter how many times Eddie did it always left Buck chasing his lips desperately when Eddie stepped back.

“Thought you were going home?” Eddie said, hip cocked against the wall as he waved through the open window with a little flourish and a smug smirk that had Buck bitterly forcing down the urge to shove Eddie back to the bed and instead climbed through the window fueled with pure stubborn resolve that if Eddie wanted him to stay for another round he could damn well ask. 

He never did.

In the month since Buck had first found himself slinking through Eddie’s window, he’d come to realize that climbing out of it was easier than climbing in. Not that either were particularly difficult but thanks to a very awkwardly placed bush, climbing in consisted of a fair bit of shimming and unhooking his shirts from the branches whereas climbing out he could just launch himself over the bush if he got enough grip on the ledge to push off.

However, Buck had learned that some days the bush was out to get him and rather than sailing smoothly over the bush he’d find himself carving a Buck-shaped hole into the outward facing portion of it, something that Eddie always seemed to find hilarious. It seemed that this was one of those times, Buck swore as he felt the leaves tickling his sides and twigs jabbing harshly into the flesh of his back as he landed an inch too close to the house.

Eddie’s soft laughter rang out in the quiet night as Buck extracted himself from the branches, muttering curses under his breath. 

“You need to get rid of this.” Buck said, not for the first time. He turned to glower at Eddie as the man rested on the window ledge, face creased with amusement.

“I’ll get right on it.” Eddie lied, again, not for the first time.

“We’re doing it Sunday.” Buck insisted. Eddie scoffed.

“Sure.”

“I’m serious, you’re not putting anything in me until this bush is out of your garden.”

“Goodnight, Buck.” He hummed, shutting his window with a soft click. 

Buck shot one last glare at the bush before he turned on his heel and started the walk down the road. 

As he walked he cast a longing look to the empty spot in which he usually parked his car, regretting the decision to catch a lift with Eddie immediately after work rather than driving himself.

Getting a ride after work with Eddie and Christopher always seemed like a great idea, he loved spending the evening at the Diaz’s house, loved hearing about Christopher's school day and sitting down for dinner with them. It used to actually be a great idea, when he’d leave right after dinner, either being chauffeured home by Eddie as Christopher nodded off in the back seat or staying late enough to crash on the couch until Eddie drove him to work the next morning.

Now, however, coming over straight after work was a pain in the ass. Mainly because ever since they had realized that yes, they could keep quiet enough not to wake Christopher up anytime he ended up coming over to hang out with Christopher meant he’d stay late enough to  _ hang out  _ with Eddie once Christopher was in bed. 

Or, more aptly, he stayed long enough for Christopher to start dozing off and then would say goodbye, take Eddie’s keys and sit in his car playing on his phone until Eddie text him saying it was safe for him to climb through the window.

It was a weird system, he knew, but it worked and with it, Buck’s blue balls had quickly been eradicated. 

The problem with it was that now rather than getting a ride home he was stuck walking back. He looked at the dimly lit street with a small sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets as he began the trek. At least, he thought, he’d have plenty of time to think about what to get Maddie for her birthday.

Within a minute the lack of a sock was apparent as his heel chafed bitterly against the back of his shoe. He bit back a groan, knowing full well by the time he got home he’d have a blister to show for his hedonism.

*

Come Saturday Buck’s blister was healing thanks to some pilfered blister plasters courtesy of Maddie’s bathroom cabinet and Maddie’s birthday was well underway. 

Buck had pulled out all of the stops, from a nostalgia induced birthday breakfast of pancakes with enough syrup to leave even the most sugar crazy kid gagging, to having a coffee in a coffee house that he knew was Maddie’s favorite, even if she refused to admit it thanks to the extortionate prices.

Finally, when the day was deep into its second half the ‘real celebration’, as Chimney had called it, begun. Or, more aptly, the drinks started flowing as seemingly everyone Maddie had met since moving to LA convened in her and Chimney’s favorite karaoke bar to sing with all the skill of drunken pirates.

“You think they realize they’re disgusting?” Buck inquired, watching as Maddie and Chimney sang yet another love song, looking to each other with matching dopey grins and eyes full of sickening amounts of love.

“Disgusting was your rendition of I’m Too Sexy.” Hen said. “They’re just cute.”

“Hey, I was amazing.” Buck said. “And you can blame Maddie for it, she’s the one who said I’m not allowed to do Eye of the Tiger.” 

“She didn’t say you couldn’t do it. She just said you can’t take your shirt off and do push-ups while you do it.” Eddie argued.

“Well then what’s the point of doing it?” Buck grinned. Eddie rolled his eyes in reply leaving Buck returning his attention to the two on the small stage, his smile turning into a good-natured gag as Chimney span Maddie around. “Alright seriously, someone else has to sing. Bobby-”

“No.” Bobby said immediately. “I already sang.”

“You can sing more than once.” Buck said. “Come on, Cap.”

“Not happening Buck.”

“Hen.”

“Oh, I don’t do karaoke.” Hen said.

“What about you?” Buck asked, turning on Eddie. “You haven’t sung yet.”

“And I won’t.” Eddie said, grinning around his bottle.

“Josh, Man-”

“I’m not singing until I have at least another 6 drinks.” Josh said.

“You love karaoke!” 

“I love watching karaoke. Not performing. At least not until I’m too drunk to care what I sound like.”

“You all suck.” Buck said pushing himself out of the booth.

He had only meant to go get another drink but, well, the lure of the sign-up sheet was too strong and so when Buck made his way back to the table a minute later with a fresh drink for himself and Maddie it was with an impish grin.

“What did you do?” Athena asked instantly. Buck slid Maddie’s drink over to her empty seat.

“Nothing.” he lied, why would you think-”

“Buck.” Athena said tersely.

Maddie and Chimney’s song finished. A polite round of applause echoed through the bar.

“I didn’t do anything” Buck said.

“Next up we have Edmundo-” A voice rung out. Eddie’s head snapped to him.

“Buck-” Eddie hissed.

“-And Hen doing Timber. Come on up guys.” Athena’s stern look broke, giving way to a blinding grin.

“Go on Henrietta, don’t keep them waiting.” She said, practically dragging Hen out of the booth.

“No.” Hen started. Chimney appeared, helping Athena shove Hen onto the stage, Buck cackled as the DJ handed her a microphone uncaring of her horror.

“Eddie, Hen’s waiting for you.” Maddie said sweetly. The first notes of the song started to flutter through the sound system.

“Don’t you dare make me do this alone.” Hen said. Eddie pulled himself out of the booth and stalked towards the stage with an air of defeat.

“You realize they’re going to get back at you one day don’t you?” Bobby asked, sipping his coke with a small smile as he looked to the two standing awkwardly on the small stage.

“Worth it.” Buck said, Athena pulled out her phone to start recording as the first dulcet notes echoed sluggishly out of Eddie’s lips.

*

The group dwindled steadily as the night wore on. The last of the deserters Bobby and Athena, bowing out politely and ferrying Maddie’s gifts along with them for safekeeping. The few of them remaining waved them off with cheerful grins.

“What now?” Buck asked. Josh’s face lit in a grin.

*

“Aren’t we too old to be going clubbing?” Maddie said, teetering to the side as she peered towards the end of the short queue.

“I don’t believe in too old for clubs.” Josh said “and even if I did you wouldn’t be it.”

“I don’t think we’re too old.” Chimney said. “But say that I’ve never really been a clubber, always preferred bars. We could-”

“It’ll be fun.” Josh said placating, pushing Chimney back into line as he tried to duck out of it.

“I used to love clubs.” Buck said, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he peered over the heads of those queueing to see they were inching their way closer to the front of the line faster than he was used to.

“Shocker.” Hen mumbled, Buck ignored her, turning his attention to the two frowning members of the party.

“Come on, Mads. You love dancing, Chimney loves pretending he knows how to dance and we’re all drunk enough not to be embarrassed by him.”

“Hey-” Chimney started. Maddie sucked in her lips to keep a laugh from bubbling out of her.

“It’ll be fun.” Buck promised. “And if it’s not then we can leave, carry on the party at mine. I think Eddie knows where we can get some very cheap wine.” He dodged the elbow Eddie aimed at his ribs and shuffled along with the line as it moved.

It wasn’t long before they were passing the bouncer with a few awkward nods of their heads. Josh lead the way as the walked in, the streetlights and hum of noise from the outside world faded, giving way to the flash of strobes and loud thumping of the music.

The club, he realized, was a lot nicer than the ones that Buck used to frequent before he’d joined the 118. Sure, as he walked he could feel the way his shoes peeled away from the sticky floor with odd pops, and yes the entire place was doused in the mixed scents of BO and booze but all the seats seemed to be free of bodily fluids and he’d yet to see anyone oh so subtly smelling their key. 

The group tucked themselves into one of the last remaining booths before Buck made his way to the bar with a list of drinks ringing in his head and Chimney beside him as back up. Although the place was crowded with the push of bodies, the pair managed to make quick work of navigating the floor and flagging down the bartender and within a matter of minutes the two were making their way back to the table, each with trays carefully loaded with copious amounts of drinks. They weaved through the people with practiced ease. 

“God, really?” Maddie laughed as she caught sight of the tray of shots in Chimney’s hand.

“Blame Buck.” Chimney said, sliding the tray onto the table and dropping down next to Maddie.

“I think you mean, thank Buck” He grinned, sliding shots across the table so everyone had theirs.

“What is it?” Hen asked.

“Good.” Buck replied, holding his small glass up. “Happy birthday, Mads.” The others followed his lead, holding up their shot glasses in a salute and downing them without any more verbal complaints.

Maddie smacked her lips, head bobbing in a look Buck was sure meant ‘not too bad’.

“Okay.” She said, slamming the shot on the table. “I need another one of these and then we’re all going to dance.” 

“That’s the spirit!” He cheered as Chimney started unloading the next round of shots from the still brimming trays.

*

Buck plucked at his shirt, peeling it away from his sweaty body with a grimace as his chest heaved, sucking in lungfuls of hot air.

“I’m gonna get a drink.” He yelled. Maddie’s brow pinched in confusion, Hen’s lips moved, any words she said drowned out by the skin tingling bass echoing out from the speaker next to them. Buck rolled his eyes, bringing a hand to his mouth in a drinking motion, when he was sure they understood he turned his back to them and started skirting his way through the crowd. 

It took longer than he would have liked to make his way to the bar, thanks to the random hands groping for him, faceless groups tugging him towards them in the dark to join them in their dancing, each time Buck ducked out as politely as possible, his shirt feeling a bit damper thanks to the extra seconds pressed tightly amongst the throngs of people. 

He picked at the collar of his shirt as his beer was slid across the bar. He took it eagerly, turning back to the crowd as he greedily glugged at the chilled drink. His raw throat thanked him for it, his lungs, however, did not.

Buck let out a soft sigh, dropping into one of the few vacated stools as he caught his breath. Spending hours dancing while packed as tight as sardines definitely used to be easier, and more appealing. He took another swig of his beer, wafting the collar of his shirt as he wished for the feel of the cool night air on his skin rather than that of the stale club.

Buck caught a glimpse of Maddie on the dance floor, twirling around Chimney matching smiles on their faces even as their hair was slick with sweat. The sight left a grin fighting its way onto Buck's own face. Internal complains about the temperature vanishing as he drained another mouthful of beer. It was fun, and, more importantly, Maddie was having fun.

He let his gaze search the crowd around Maddie, darting across strangers’ faces, lit up beneath the strobes. He spotted Josh first, His arm slung over Hen’s shoulder as he leaned close enough to scream in her ear. Hen’s head tipped back in laughter that although he couldn’t actually hear he felt the phantom sounds of it ringing in his ear familiarly. The smile on his face grew.

A few feet from them he spotted Eddie.

If anyone had asked Buck about what he thought Eddie would be like when dancing he’d have replied ‘awkward’. The most he’d seen of Eddie dancing so far in their friendship had been a few offbeat headbangs to whatever Disney soundtrack Christopher was into at the time while trying to rustle together dinner while both Christopher and Buck were trying to distract him.

If he pictured Eddie in a club he’d picture the same half-hearted head bobbing, maybe some light shoulder movements and patented dad arms. He definitely wouldn’t have pictured what it was actually like.

Buck felt his jaw gaping as his eyes trailed over Eddie on the dance floor. Gone were the offbeat head bobs, replaced with rolls of his body that timed perfectly to the beat. His head was tipped towards the ceiling, eyes closed against the flashing of the lights as he swirled his body in a way that had eyes zeroing in on him and Buck wondering if it was acceptable to ask your fuck buddy for a lapdance.

He wondered if Eddie had been dancing like that when Buck was near him, if he had really been too interested in his godawful dance-off with Chimney to notice the downright indecent grinding of Eddie’s hips that even from halfway across the club had Buck shifting on his stool trying to stave off the growing tightness in his pants.

He swallowed, fighting back an embarrassed groan as he realized that he was popping a boner over Eddie’s dancing while Eddie had been forced to watch him aggressively chicken dance around Maddie.

Buck’s gaze shifted to the others again, trying to figure out whether they were distracted enough for Buck to dart back into the crowd and settle himself in front of Eddie. He could practically feel Eddie’s hands on his hips, the way their bodies would move together as Eddie led him in the push and pull of the movements, as his leg settled between his thighs and-

Buck shoved himself off of the stool and into the crowd before he could think twice about it. He weaved through the crowd easily, eyes zeroed in on the man still dancing, head tipped towards the flashing lights, eyes closed and expression too peaceful for the music so loud that Buck could feel it vibrating in his blood. 

Eddie’s eyes snapped open as Buck’s fingers curled around his wrist, tugging him in close enough that he was sure Eddie could feel the bulge pressing against his thigh. Eddie’s free hand settled on his waist.

“Can we-” Buck croaked, lips brushing against Eddie’s ear. Eddie didn’t let him finish, head bobbing in a nod.

“Bathroom.” Eddie replied, hand on his waist shoving Buck back round so he could once again make the journey through the crowd.

Buck scurried in the direction of the bathroom in a way he’d be sure was far too eager if Eddie wasn’t following close enough behind him for Buck to feel his breath dancing across the nape of his neck.

The roar of music faded as they moved, past the bar and the booths full of loud groups, past the waft of smoke that drifted through the open door to the smoking courtyard and finally into the surprisingly empty hall that held the men's bathrooms.

The two stumbled into the bathroom. Buck would blame the alcohol for the fact that he didn’t bother to check if it was actually empty before he was spinning around and shoving Eddie back against the dirty wall to capture his lips. 

“Didn’t tell me you could dance.” He hissed when he finally needed to pull back for breath.

“You didn’t ask.” Eddie said, hands once again on his waist, forcing him back one step, then another. “At least I didn’t start the night with that fucking song.” Eddie gruffed. 

Buck let out a soft yelp as his back hit the door to a stall and it swung open to let the two pass in an ungraceful clatter of frantic limbs.

“Didn’t know Right Said Fred did it for you.” He joked. Eddie shot him an unimpressed look as he removed one hand from its white knuckle grip on Buck's hip to slide the cheap lock in place. 

“Been waiting to do this all night.” Eddie said, settling back against the locked door and tugging Buck into his chest. Buck went eagerly.

Eddie’s shirt was damp with sweat, his mouth tasted like a mix of licorice and toffee from the mix of drinks they’d had over the course of the night.

It should have been gross and yet Buck felt ready to drown in it, in the push of Eddie’s hard chest against his and the calloused hands searching beneath his own uncomfortably damp shirt The kiss was broken with a moan as Eddie rolled his hips like he was dancing again, grinding their hips together and stealing the breath from Buck's lungs. He rocked back in tandem, losing himself in the feel until he heard the creak of the flimsy door beneath Eddie’s back.

“Wait, wait-” Buck panted, shoving backward and hurrying to close the toilet seat, after a quick check to see how dirty it was he dropped down on top of it.

“Comfortable?” Eddie asked, eyebrow raised judgmentally as Buck looked up at him.

“Hey, judge all you want man but I once tried to fuck a girl in a stall like this and she went right through the freaking wall and you weight a lot more than her. Now come here.” Buck slapped his thighs like a pervy Santa, Eddie’s eyebrows crept higher.

“You want me to sit on your lap?”

“Straddle my lap.”

“That’s...man that’s not going to be comfortable.”

“Comfortable, no, but it is practical” Eddie stayed firmly in place, arms crossing over his chest, Buck rolled his eyes and reached forwards, fingers hooking in Eddie’s belt hooks to tug him forwards. The toilet seat was a bit too high, leaving his head closer to Eddie’s chest than his crotch but, a look at the floor left him more than happy to deal with a neck ache than piss on his knees.

“Buck-”

“What, you don’t want to straddle me so I'm improvising..” He said cheerfully tugging at Eddie’s zipper with one hand as the other settled around his thigh holding him in place. Not that Eddie was trying to go anywhere, his hand settled on Buck's shoulder, thumb digging into the crook between his throat and collarbone. 

Buck drew the zip down.

“Fuck-” Eddie breathed. Buck shot him a grin, one that fell quickly when he suddenly felt Eddie’s thigh vibrating in a way that definitely wasn’t just in excitement.

“You need to get that?” Buck asked, Eddie let out a soft whine.

“Sorry.” Eddie said, stepping away and digging a hand in his pocket. “It could be-”

“It’s fine man.” Buck said in understanding. “I get it.” and he did, could feel anxiety beginning to swirl beneath his skin at the chance that it could be something to do with Christopher. The anxiety vanished as quickly as it came as all traces of worry in Eddie’s expression vanished the moment he looked at the screen, replaced with an eye roll. “Everything okay?”

“Chimney’s trying to find me.” Eddie said. The phone buzzed again, Eddie peered at it. “And now he wants to know if I know where you are.”

“What are you going to say?” Buck asked, eyebrows waggling as he peered up at Eddie, hands still brushing over his thighs. Eddie shoved the phone back into his pocket with a scowl.

“Nothing.” He huffed, slapping Bucks hands away and dropping to sit straddled on Bucks lap. Buck let out a soft huff as Eddie’s weight settled over his thighs. Eddie had been right, it wasn’t comfortable, their legs too long for the cramped stall, even so, he didn’t complain. Not when Eddie’s hands were framing his face tugging him back in for a heated kiss and he could slip his hands beneath Eddie’s shirt to skate over the hard planes of his stomach as he rolled his hips up.

It wasn’t long before Buck found the hands skirting from his face down towards his hips again, sliding between their bodies and pressing against the bulge in his pants leaving him gasping into Eddie’s mouth.

“I wa-” Buck broke off as he heard the bathroom door swish open, his heartbeat clattering in his ears and lips burning as he tried to figure out whether it was too quiet in the bathroom to keep going while whoever it was did their business. 

“Eddie? You in here man?” The familiar voice left ice jolting through Buck, thoughts of continuing while the interloper used the bathroom vanishing in an instant. He tilted his head slowly to look at Eddie only to find the man glaring at the wall behind Buck’s head with enough heat to melt it. “Diaz? Edmundo?” Buck sucked on his lips to stop a laugh bubbling out of him as Eddie’s jaw ticked. “Buck? Anyone? Hello, hello” Chimney continued, voice mimicking an echo. 

The two stayed silent, Buck praying for the sound of the door shutting once again to signal Chimney’s exit, it didn’t happen. Instead, he heard Chimney shuffling. A moment later Buck’s phone vibrated roughly against his thigh, the noise unfortunately not muffled enough between their bodies to make it so Chimney wouldn’t hear it from outside. For a moment Buck hoped that Chimney would ignore it, that perhaps it was someone else calling.

“Buck?” Chimney repeated hopefully. “That you in there?” Buck stayed silent, lips pressed together as he looked for Eddie for help, the man in question just looked back at him with wide eyes. “Buck?” The door rattled with a soft knock.

“Uh yeah.” Buck croaked, Eddie shook his head frantically. Buck scoffed. “It’s me. You uh..that you calling me I'm guessing?”

“Yeah.” Chimney said, Bucks phone continued to rattle between his and Eddie’s bodies. 

“Mind hanging up?”

“Oh yeah, sure.” Bucks phone stilled. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere man, did you not hear me call your name?”

“No, I uh, I heard.” Buck said, thumping his head back against the wall. “Just didn’t realize it was you. You sound..different in the bathroom, the acoustics you know. Though it might be someone looking for a different Buck.”

“What, You think there’s more than one Buck in this club?” Chimney snorted.

“It’s a common name.”

“It’s not.” Chimney laughed. “You gonna come out?” Chimney asked. the question drew out a snort of laughter than quickly turned into a pained groan as Eddie jabbed a finger into his ribs shooting him an unimpressed looked.

“Nope.” Buck grumbled, rubbing his abused ribs with a scowl.

“No?” Chimney repeated dubiously. “Why not?”

“I uh, I had tacos for dinner. Think the meat was bad. Might be a while you know?”

“Oh-” Buck could hear the sneer of disgust in Chimney’s voice. “Tough break man, You want me to see if someone’s got some Pepto-Bismol or something?”

“No, no that’s fine. Probably not a lot left you know...Like I had an enema you know, just pouring-” Eddie buried his face in his hands Buck trailed off, clearing his throat. “Anyway just you know, head back out, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“You sure? You need me to pass you some toilet ro-”

“No.” Buck hissed. “I’m, I'm fine man just, go make sure Maddie’s okay? She had tacos from the same truck you know-”

“I just left her and she seemed fine-”

“And I felt fine twenty minutes ago, go check on her man and let me crap in peace.”

“Okay fine, feel better buddy.” 

“Thanks.” Buck grumbled. He listened to the shuffle of footsteps and the blessed click of the bathroom door shutting again. 

“We should probably-” Buck didn’t let Eddie finish, capturing his lips again with renewed vigor. Eddie had no complaints, sinking Back into the kiss eagerly, within moments it was like they’d never been interrupted. 

The door crashed open again.

“Hey, Buck?” Chimney’s voice piped up, Eddie’s head hit Buck‘s shoulder with a dull thunk a barely audible groan passing his lips leaving Buck biting back a laugh. 

“What man?” Buck asked. “Kinda not in the best place for a conversation.”

“Yeah sorry I just, have you seen Eddie recently? I can’t find him.” 

“Nope.” Buck said, wiggling his fingers beneath the waistband of Eddie’s boxers. “Think he said something about going home last time I was at the bar.”

“Thanks man… you sure you don’t want-”

“Like I said I’ll be fine man. Just give me a couple minutes and I'm sure I’ll be good as new.”

“Alright man.” Chimney said, the door closed once more.

“Guess the night’s over for me then.” Eddie snorted. “You know, you could’ve just said you hadn’t seen me?” Eddie said. 

“Didn’t think of it.” Buck shrugged. “Promise I’ll give the night a happy ending though.” Before Eddie could as much as roll his eyes at the terrible line Buck was shoving his hand the rest of the way into Eddie’s boxers and silencing the gasp that tried to echo from his lips with his own. 

*

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Eddie asked, hair mused and lips still a rosy red from overuse as he rested against the open fire exit door.

“Tomorrow,” Buck promised. A grin broke out over Eddie’s face, finger tugging at the front of Buck’s shirt to haul him closer and press a swift kiss to Buck’s lips. Just as quick as he was pulled in he was pushed back again as Eddie moved fully into the alley and jogged towards the street. Buck tugged the fire door shut, rubbing his chin with one hand as he fought the smile stretching across his face and turned back towards the clubs hallway.

The smile on Buck’s face fell as he spotted Josh at the end of the hall. His eyes snapping between Buck and the fire exit Eddie had just disappeared out of. Bucks mouth gaped, for once entirely speechless. 

“So,” Josh said slowly. “Guessing you don’t really need this then?” He finished, waving a pink packet in his hand. Buck shook his head, mind coming up blank.

Josh had seen them, there was no way to try and talk around it, no lies good enough to make what he saw any less obvious. Josh slid the packet into his pocket, wide eyes still shifting between the door behind Buck and Buck himself. The silence stretched out.

“So, you and Eddie?” Josh prompted as the silence got so uncomfortable Buck was wishing he really did eat a bad taco.

“No.” Buck said, shaking his head vehemently, Josh’s eyebrow lifted in a way that left Buck practically hearing the ‘bitch please’. “I mean, yeah but not...We’re sleeping together.” he explained. “It’s not, We’re not..It’s just sex.” 

“Right.” Josh said, eyes flickering to the door once again, lips twitching as if he were about to start laughing. Buck could just imagine him turning tail and sprinting out to the group to give them what was no doubt the juiciest gossip of the night.

“You can’t tell Maddie.” Buck blurted. “Or anyone. I mean-” buck said, practically begging. “It’s-” Buck trailed off, trying to find the words. He didn’t care if people knew, sure, he’d rather not deal with the inevitable teasing but he could handle it. Even them knowing that he’d been hooking up with a guy didn’t bother him, although he wasn’t  _ out  _ he wasn’t exactly in the closet either, he didn’t care if people knew he was into guys, he just didn’t tell people.

What he did care about though was everyone knowing it was Eddie. Not only because the teasing would be a million times worse thanks to it being someone they all knew but because he didn’t know how Eddie would feel about being out. He knew that Eddie didn’t want people to know about their arrangement but he didn’t know whether it was solely because it would just complicate things or if the fact that Buck was a guy factored into it.

“I won’t.” Josh said, before Buck could break into a stuttering explanation of  _ why.  _

“You won’t?” Buck questioned. Josh shook his head.

“It’s your business.” he said, lips twitching in a small smile. “But, a bit of advice, if you don’t want people to know you might want to try not kissing him in public.” Buck let out a breath of laughter, hand scrubbing the back of his neck.

“Thanks man.”

“No problem. Now you want to rejoin the party or do you have another  _ friend  _ somewhere around here waiting to meet you?” Buck snorted, forgoing answer as he made his way towards Josh and the two picked their way back past the smoking area and towards the smell of sweat seeping from the dance floor.

“You want to get another tray of shots?” Josh asked as they pushed back into the crowds of the dance floor.

“Why not.”

*

Why not became apparent the next morning when Buck found himself huddled on Eddie’s doorstep in far too many layers, head pounding and stomach churning. Buck knocked sluggishly. It wasn’t long before Eddie answered the door. Buck shuffled in past him, grunting out a greeting.

Rather than walk his usual path to the bedroom Buck beelined for the couch, crawling onto it and stretching himself out with a pitiful groan. The door closed with a soft click, Eddie’s footsteps pattered around. Buck squinted over to see him tidying up the coffee table like Buck wasn’t moments away from dying on his couch.

He grabbed a pillow, pressing it over his face with a put upon whimper.

Despite only doing it in the hopes that Eddie would ask him if he was okay and give him some much-needed sympathy he found that it was nice. The couch cushion was cool against his clammy skin and stopped the too-bright sunlight seeping through the open curtains from trying to blind him as well as muffling the pounding of his head from quiet sounds.

Eddie plucked the cushion away from Buck's face leaving him squinting up at the amused man perched above him.

“You okay?”

“I’m getting old.”

“You know it was Maddie’s birthday not yours right?”

“I’m hungover.” Buck whined. “I never used to get hangovers.” Rather than the sympathy than Buck was hoping for Eddie let out an amused snort.

“Yeah, Welcome to your late twenties. I’ve got beer if you want some hair of the dog.” Buck's stomach lurched in revolt. Lip curling in a sneer as he snatched the cushion back and once again used it to smother himself.

“God, no. No beer.” He grumbled into the fabric. Eddie’s laughter bubbled softly above him.

“You should have called and said you couldn’t make it.”

“I’m fine.” Buck lied.

“Yeah, Clearly.”

Buck took a moment, breathing in dusty hot air before he was throwing the cushion away again and looking back up to Eddie with a determined glower. “Alright. Come on. Let's do this.” He waved Eddie down, Eddie remained unmoved on the arm of the couch. “You can sit on my face if you want, not really in the mood for moving a whole lot so that would actually be perfe-” Eddie finally moved but instead of shedding his clothes and joining Buck on the couch like he hoped the man beelined for the kitchen. “What are you doing? Eddie?” buck pushed himself up, ready to follow only for his stomach to roll once again leaving hot bile creeping in his throat, he quickly flopped back down, willing his stomach to settle as he pressed his eyes closed. After a moment he heard Eddie moving around in the room again.

“Scooch over.” Buck blinked his eyes open again. Eddie was still fully clothed and a look around the room showed him that he hadn’t disappeared to get any whipped cream or any other kitchen based items that could be used for sex, instead, he had a TV remote held loosely in his hand. Buck shifted over and Eddie slid onto the couch next to him, resting back comfortably and kicking his legs up onto the coffee table. “Water and Tylenol on the table.” Eddie said with a nod to the aforementioned items sitting close to his socked feet as he began flicking through the channels.

“You’re not going to sit on my face?” Buck asked. Eddie snorted.

“Drink your water, Buck.” Eddie said, settling into the couch. “You okay with Hawaii five o”

“Yeah.” Buck sighed, reaching out for the water with a shaky hand. The episode began playing softly as Buck forced down the pills and took a few tentative sips of water. “Thanks man.” He said as he curled back into the fetal position next to Eddie. “I swear I am going to suck your dick later.” He promised.

“Whatever man.” Eddie said, Buck could hear the grin in his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kit i am so very sorry about how much i bothered you with this chapter, thank you so much for helping me and letting mee whine to you fucking constantly.  
Please comment/kudos/whatever other buttons there are on this magical site :)


	9. Chapter 9

“You realise we have blankets right?” Buck peered over the spilling pile of sheets in his arms to see Eddie making his way down the driveway towards him. “You didn’t need to bring your own.”

“Dude, I am not building anything for Christopher from sheets we’ve banged on.” He snorted.

“You know I wash my sheets right?”

“You know how little washing does for bodily fluids?” Buck challenged. “Can you grab the lights and pillows from the backseat?”

“Lights? What do you need lights for?” Eddie asked. Buck ignored him, jogging towards the front door before he could drop any of the blankets balancing precariously in his grip. Once inside he quickly tossed the pile onto the couch where it quickly overbalanced and blankets were sent tumbling across the floor.

“Thank you,” Buck turned at Eddie’s voice, the man followed him in, tossing the remaining cushions onto the already overflowing pile and juggled the string of lights. “For coming, I know you probably had plans but-.” Buck let out a scoff of laughter at the suggestion he had plans. 

Honestly, he’d been fairly heartbroken to learn that Christopher had a party to go to on the same day Buck had a day off that aligned not only with Eddie’s time off but also with the school holidays. A party that would steal not only Christopher for the day but also Eddie as he helped chaperone the gaggle of eight-year-olds causing mayhem.

He’d planned to spend the day lounging around his apartment turning himself into a blanket burrito, a plan he’d been succeeding in until he got a text from Eddie around midday explaining that after a chickenpox outbreak the party had been swiftly canceled with just enough time for Eddie to turn the car around at the end of the street leaving Christopher understandably heartbroken.

“Hey man, I’m just glad you guys want me here.” Buck said earnestly. Although, why Eddie had decided to text him of all people in a ‘help me cheer up my son’ call for aid Buck wasn’t entirely sure, not when he knew there were probably a dozen other disappointed kids around the city that Eddie could have arranged a playdate within less time than it took the pair of them to come up with the ‘make a blanket fort’ plan. “I was gonna spend the whole day in blankets anyway, at least this way I get to do it with my favorite person.” Buck shrugged. “So where is he?”

“In his room.” Eddie said, lips twisting as if in pain. “He hasn’t come out since I told him. Hasn’t even talked to me.” The man added stiffly.

“He does know I’m coming right?” Buck asked. Eddie shrugged. “Ed-”

“Christopher!” Eddie bellowed, jogging towards Christopher’s room before Buck could finish, leaving him looking down to the pile of blankets in horror. What if Christopher didn’t want him here? What if him coming over made him more upset?

Sure he loved Christopher and he knew Christopher liked hanging out with him at times but, he’d never just turned up when Christopher was upset before, never been used as bait to try and lure the kid out of his room.

Before Buck would spiral too much he heard the clatter of footsteps coming back down the hall and felt himself standing up straight, hands flailing awkwardly by his sides before he rested one on the edge of the couch and cocked the other on his hip wondering if his hands had always felt so unnecessary. 

Thoughts of his own awkwardness vanished when he caught sight of Christopher. His heart shattering as he watched the way the usually lively boy slumped into the room, his head hanging low. The aura of pure joy that Buck was so used to feeling radiate off the boy was nowhere to be found.

“Hey buddy.” Buck said gently. Christopher’s head snapped up.

“Buck?” Christopher croaked, voice sounding painful as it scratched up his throat like he’d been swallowing back sobs. Which, judging by his red-rimmed eyes as he blinked at Buck in shock, was probably exactly what he had been doing. “What are you doing here?”

“Well your dad said your party got canceled-” Buck started. Christopher’s face shuttered, lower lip wobbling. Eddie slashed a hand across his throat out of Christopher’s eye line desperately. Buck grinned sheepishly and pushed on..“-We thought you might want to build a blanket fort with us.” he finished quickly, nodding towards the messy pile of blankets, he watched as Chris’s gaze followed his.

“A blanket fort?” Christopher repeated, stepping further into the room. Buck felt a smile overtaking his face as he saw the beginnings of interest creeping across the kids face, a spark of the usual joy lighting behind his eyes and flickering hopefully. A spark that had a smile working its way onto Buck’s face that he wouldn’t be able to stop even if he wanted to.

“Yeah. I think your dad said about ordering some food and maybe watching that movie you mentioned last week as well.” He added with a noncommittal shrug. Christopher’s head snapped towards Eddie, a hopeful smile creeping onto his face. “So you wanna?” Christopher was nodding before he could even finish the question. Buck clapped his hands together. “Alright! Let’s do this! So I did a bunch of research-“ 

“Research?” Eddie interrupted, a smile tugging at his lips as he lead Christopher over to the free spot on the couch. “You need research for a blanket fort?” 

“Of course not. I’m great at blanket forts. But this isn’t just any old blanket fort this is Christopher’s blanket kingdom so it has to be amazing. Right buddy?”

“Right!” Christopher grinned.

“Alright so, Chris, I need you to choose which blanket is going to be our walls while me and your dad build the walls. You think you can do that?” Christopher nodded. 

*

It wasn’t exactly what he’d pictured. The ceiling sloped thanks to the uneven heights of the walls leaving the right-hand side a good two inches smaller than the left. The space, though big enough for the three of them to squeeze into was still smaller than he’d planned for it to be, leaving the blankets covering the floor trailing out the end in a way he knew meant that if he were to try and lie down in it his feet would poke out of the end. The lights, rather than the soft white hue that he’d been hoping for flashed sleepily in a mix of different colors telling Buck he’d definitely picked up the wrong string of Christmas lights.

Even so, the smile on Christopher’s face as they sat amongst the nest of blankets was enough to show Buck that he’d done a good enough job, no matter if it wasn’t quite as picturesque as he’d hoped it to be.

Beneath the spray of lights and with the warmth radiating from three bodies in the cozy nook it was easy to forget about the passage of time altogether. The slump of Christopher's shoulders from before had all but vanished as the three of them sat huddled in their own little world, Christopher’s head thrown back in laughter as Buck and Eddie spewed stories that made little to no sense but were doing their job in making the youngest Diaz laugh. 

It felt like the next second when they were being forced to leave the comfort of their little pop-up home to answer the door to the delivery driver carrying steaming pizzas that left Buck with a watering mouth.

“Can we eat in here?” Christopher asked, peering out the opening to the fort.

“Yeah, of course.” Buck said, just as Eddie answered.

“No.” The fort fell silent, Buck’s mind screaming as he wondered why he had answered.

“Uh...so can we?” Christopher inquired. 

“If Buck says it’s fine then it’s fine.” Eddie said calmly.

“No.” Buck said, shaking his head. “We’ll eat wherever you want. I’m sorry, I just-“ He floundered.

“No, it’s fine.” Eddie said, lips twitching in a smile rather than the look of betrayal Buck expected. 

“I’m really sorry.” Buck insisted. “I was just-” 

_ Just what?  _ Buck’s brain hissed spitefully.  _ Making decisions for your son in your house like I had any right to do so.  _

“It’s fine, Buck.” Eddie said softly, interrupting Buck’s train of thought. “I only said no because I didn’t want to get grease all over your sheets.”

“Oh, I don’t care about that, I eat in bed all the time.”

“Not cereal I hope.” Eddie murmured. The reply startled a laugh out of Buck.

“So are we eating in here?” Christopher questioned again leaving Buck shrugging.

“Yeah buddy, we’re eating here.” Eddie grinned. “Why don’t you and Buck go get the laptop while I get some plates? Then we can watch Coco while we eat.”

“YES!” Christopher cheered. “Come on, Buck, I’ll show you the DVDs.”

*

Eddie was right about them getting grease on the sheets, by the time they were launching the empty pizza boxes out of the opening of the fort halfway through “Un Poco Loco” Buck had dropped no less than 3 slices of pepperoni onto the sheets beneath them and Eddie had dropped an entire slice trying to catch a gloop of cheese falling off of Christopher's pizza.

Still, Buck had no regrets about staying huddled in the fort, not when Christopher was quick to rest his head on his shoulder when Buck was scrubbing tears from his cheeks during ‘Remember Me’.

Christopher stayed tucked against Buck’s side even after the film ended and when they put on another film he did little more than wiggle until Buck moved an arm around him to help tuck him closer into his side.

By the end of the movie the wiggling weight on his side had relaxed, soft breaths replaced the sound of the credits as Eddie stopped the film before the music could start and wake the dozing boy at Buck’s side.

“I’m gonna clean up a bit.” Eddie said.

“Want me to help?” even before Buck had finished asking Eddie was shaking his head no. Buck didn’t argue, despite knowing he should he was comfortable, his body cradled by the abundance of blankets.

He turned his attention to Christopher lethargically as Eddie crawled from the fort. His head pillowed against Buck’s chest, rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. Carefully Buck plucked at the red band of Christopher's glasses, inching them off before the kid could accidentally do them any damage.

He ran a hand through the soft curly locks of hair as Christopher let out a soft snuffle at the movement of Buck taking off his glasses. His fingers scraped gently against Christopher scalp, lulling him back to sleep as he turned his gaze to the twinkle of lights above him and listened to the soft scuffle of Eddie cleaning up plates and pizza boxes.

After a while the sounds of halfhearted cleaning vanished, leaving Buck tracking the soft pad of footsteps back towards the fort, he flickered his eyes down to the opening of the fort just as Eddie poked his head back in, hair mused from the hours spent sitting in a ‘room’ small enough for his head to brush the ceiling. 

“You need to put him to bed?” Buck asked. 

“Nah.” Eddie hummed. “With the amount of blankets you brought he’s probably more comfortable here than he would be in his bed.” Buck let out a drowsy huff, whether of laughter or agreement he wasn’t really sure, his fingers plucked through Christopher’s hair softly again, lips curling into a grin as Christopher let out a soft snore. 

Eddie’s lip disappeared beneath his teeth, his eyes trailing from Buck down to Christopher as he gnawed at the flesh. It did nothing to hide the smile creeping onto his face.

“What?” Buck said curiously. Eddie’s eyes snapped back up to him, his head waggling in a swaying shake of his head that paused almost as soon as it started. His bottom lip popped out from where it was caught between his teeth, his lips scrunching for a moment before resolve was settling behind his eyes and he was tilting his head in a different way.

No longer a ‘no’ but a soft nod towards the hall in a silent ‘follow me’ before he was moving across the room on quiet feet. Buck extracted himself from the fort. He cast one last glance at Christopher, sleeping peacefully, before he was following Eddie. Eddie didn’t check to see whether or not Buck was coming, just ducked into his room leaving Buck scurrying in after him.

Eddie inched the door closed behind him, careful enough to look like it was out of a bad movie. Though, to hand it to him, when it did finally shut it did so without even a click. Buck raised his brows as Eddie turned back to face him. Words tickling the tip of his tongue as he wondered why Eddie had called him away.

Before he could even open his mouth to get the question out Eddie’s lips were on his. Warm hands framing his face, tugging him down the few short inches it took to make their mouths meet in the middle. He kissed him slow, soft. Stealing the breath from Bucks lungs like the first sparks of fire greedily consuming the oxygen around to grow. 

“Really? Now?” Buck huffed, even as he let himself be walked backwards towards the bed. Eddie didn’t reply, just yanked his own shirt over his head and plunged back in for another kiss, Buck met it eagerly.

*

Buck had never had an erection go from so hard it could be used as an effective shield to a stand-in for flubber so fast. The second he heard the click of the door handle he was moving, rolling off of Eddie to slide to the floor with as much grace and agility as he could when pure terror was rolling over him in waves. His blood roared in his ears as he slipped under the bed just as the door pushed open with an ominous squeak.

“Daddy?” Christopher asked softly. The bed creaked above him, the sheets in front of his hiding spot jolting as Eddie no doubt tried to hide as much of his body as he could without drawing attention to the fact that 

  1. He was naked.
  2. There was a naked man currently hiding beneath his bed.

“Christopher-” Eddie’s voice was wrecked, his breathing labored enough that Buck could hear it from his hiding spot and God, Buck did not envy him, as uncomfortable as it was beneath the bed, with dust sticking to his naked...everything, he knew that Eddie had it a thousand times worse. The fact that Eddie had even managed to get out Christopher’s name when all Buck’s mind was doing was screaming a panicked ‘fuck’ was a testament to how well he coped under pressure.

“I woke up and you were gone.” Christopher said, filling in the uncomfortable silence left by Eddie’s awkward greeting. Buck pushed aside a familiar-looking sock so he could peer through the gap in the blankets at Christopher's feet standing in the open doorway. 

“I uh, I went to bed.”

“Where’s Buck?” Christopher asked softly, Buck pressed himself harder into the floor, eyes squeezing shut as if it would make him invisible. 

“Buck?” Eddie croaked, an uncomfortable laugh bubbled out from the bed above him. “He’s uh..he went home.” The room was silent. Buck listened to their breathing, terrified that Christopher was about to call Eddie out on the lie, or that he’d spot the shirt Buck knew was in clear view if Christopher just blinked the sleep out of his eyes.

“He left without saying goodbye?” Buck’s eyes snapped open as his chest cracked open at the unmistakable hurt in Christopher’s voice. If it weren’t for the complete lack of clothes adorning his body Buck would have thrown himself out from his hiding place, a few awkward questions would be worth replacing the pain in his tone. As it was, however, he didn’t want to traumatize the boy so stayed put, pressed firmly into the floorboards guilt washing over him, spreading through him like the first droplet of rain seeping between the cracks on the sidewalk.

“You were asleep.” Eddie said. “I was just getting into my pajamas so-”

“Did I do something wrong? Is he mad at me?”

“What?” Eddie gaped. Buck bit his fist to stop the desperate ‘no’ ripping from his throat. “No, no, Chris, you didn’t do anything wrong, why would you think that?”

“He always says goodbye.” Christopher said.

“He usually leaves earlier.” Eddie pointed out. “I promise he’s not mad at you. You were just asleep when he was leaving and we didn’t want to wake you up to say goodbye.”

“I wouldn’t have minded.” Christopher said.

“I know.” Eddie’s foot hit the floor in front of Buck’s face, the blankets curling around it like armor “I pro-” Eddie broke off with a strangled cry as the blankets lunged threateningly towards the floor. The bedsprings sang as Eddie flopped back down heavily enough to leave the frame knocking against Buck’s head. “Buck loves you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Can we call him?”

“No.” Eddie said instantly. Buck thought back to chimney finding them, well, him, in the bathroom a few weeks before thanks to the annoying buzz of his phone and felt his stomach drop at the thought of Christopher hearing Bucks phone ringing from the pants littering his dads bedroom. “It’s...I mean it’s late he might be asleep already. But we can call him in the morning. I promise.” There was silence for a moment. “It’s late, why don’t you go get into your pajamas and then we can sleep in the fort tonight.”

“In the fort?”

“Yeah, you know I’m sure it’d make Buck really happy to know we spent the whole night in there after how long we all spent making it.” 

“We can call him from the fort in the morning.” Christopher said decisively.

“Yeah we can.” Eddie hummed. “So go get ready for bed.”

“Okay.” Christopher stepped out of the room again, footsteps clattering down the hall, the two were silent, still, until the sound of Christopher’s door opening echoed through the house.

Eddie was up like a flash, launching across the room to slam his door closed. Buck took a breath, head slamming into the dust floorboards as he tried to calm his racing heart. That had been too close, far far far too close. 

He took a moment listening to Eddie stumble round the room before he slid back out from underneath the bed, met with the sight of Eddie clawing into his clothes.

“I’m sorry.” He started, voice a barely audible hiss. “I have to-” Buck nodded blankly as Eddie shot Buck one last grimacing smile and soft  _ sorry  _ before he was ducking out of the door after Christopher.

The second the door closed Buck pushed himself off of the floor, making sure to keep his footsteps light as he darted around the room collecting his clothes sparring little time to put them on properly. Jeans still undone and shirt clutched in his hand as he threw himself out of the window with little grace, or, none it seemed as his foot caught against the ledge and he found himself face planting the bush. 

Buck clamored free, ignoring the new dent in the bush and the hot stinging pain lacing up his torso from getting jabbed by twigs in lieu of sprinting towards the front door, tugging his shirt on as he went.

His fist clattered against the door heavily, a quick succession of knocks that was loud enough to wake the dead, let alone draw Christopher and Eddie’s attention. Buck only just managed to zip his fly back up before the door was being thrown open.

“Buck?” Eddie gawped, eyebrows pinched together.

“Hey.” Buck faltered, shifting his weight as he second-guessed himself. The furrow in Eddie’s brow smoothed out, lips twitching in a half-smile. “I just wanted to-”

“Come on in.” Eddie said, waving opening the door further to let Buck slide in past him. “Christopher! I have a surprise for you.” Like earlier Christopher came marching out of his bedroom, this time clad in his pajamas.

“Buck?” 

“Hey buddy!” Buck grinned. “I was halfway home when I realised that I totally forgot to say goodbye. So-” He waved. “Goodbye, hope you sleep well.” A smile broke across Christopher's face.

“We’re sleeping in the castle tonight!” Christopher said.

“Really?” Buck asked. Christopher nodded. “That’s  _ so  _ cool! I bet you’re gonna sleep super well, I wish I could sleep in the castle.”

“You can!”

“I think it’s a bit late to be making another castle when I get home.” Buck chuckled, not to mention every one of his blankets was currently being used for the Diaz blanket fort. “Maybe-”

“You can sleepover.” He said decisively.

“Huh?” 

“This is your castle too, You should get to sleep in it as well” Christopher said. Buck looked to Eddie who was busy inspecting the side of the fort like it held the answer to the universe.

“That’s super nice.” He said slowly when he realized Eddie was going to be no help in letting Christopher down. “And you know, I would love to but I haven’t got any pajamas and-”

“I can lend you some.” His head jerked back to Eddie whos gaze had moved from the side of the fort to the wall by Buck’s head. “If you wanted to stay.”

“I uh-”

“Please Buck.” Christopher begged hopefully. The traces of sadness that were heavy in his voice minutes before gone without a trace.

“Yeah that’d...If you don’t mind.”

*

“In here Buck.” Eddie’s voice stopped Buck in his path back to the living room, he backtracked a few steps peering into the open bathroom door to see Eddie digging through the cabinet under the sink while Christopher brushed his teeth next to him.

“What’s up?” Buck asked.

“Can’t go to bed without brushing your teeth. Right Christopher?” Eddie said, Christopher nodded his head seriously. “Here you go,” He turned from the cabinet, holding out a shiny blue toothbrush. Buck padded into the bathroom and took the toothbrush. He held it out again a second later as Eddie squirted a dollop of toothpaste onto the bristles.

“Thanks.” Buck hummed, jamming the toothbrush into his mouth and starting to scrub his teeth with it as Eddie grabbed his own brush from a cup over the sink. The bathroom was quiet apart from the soft sounds of the three of them brushing their teeth bouncing off of the tiles. Christopher’s eyes caught his and he shot the boy a minty smelling grin. Toothpaste dripped down onto his chin as he did leaving Christopher letting out a spray of white foam as he giggled. Buck caught Eddie rolling his eyes goodnaturedly in the reflection of the mirror.

It wasn’t long before Christopher was rinsing his mouth and dropping his toothbrush back into the cup by the sink.

“Done.” He declared.

“You get all of them?” Eddie asked, voice muffled from foam.

“Yeah.” 

“Even the back ones?”

“Yep, see.” Christopher opened his mouth and bared his teeth for Eddie to inspect.

“Alright, go get into bed.”

“You mean the castle?”

“Yeah” Eddie grinned, toothbrush smearing toothpaste onto his cheek as it waggled precariously from his lips. “The castle.” Eddie followed mutely as Christopher made his way from the bathroom, the older Diaz stopped in the doorway, resting against it as he watched Christopher head to the living room. After a moment he came back to the sink, taking Christopher’s place next to Buck.

Buck caught Eddie’s gaze in the mirror as their shoulders brushed together, pressing warmth through the small bit of contact. He watched as eddies lips topped in a smile around his toothbrush. The paste speckling his beard seemed to pronounce the soft slope of a dimple on his cheek. Buck smiles back, the dimple growing deeper, their shoulders stayed pressed together leaving a line of heat radiating up Buck’s side.

He wanted to kiss him. Wanted to taste the mint on his lips and see if the dimple stayed in place as he did.

“You want to check if I brushed well enough too?” Buck said instead of giving in to the impulse. Eddie’s eyes rolled again, he broke the contact, stepping forwards to spit out a glob of toothpaste.

“Think you’re old enough to know if you’ve brushed your own teeth.” Eddie hummed. Rinsing his mouth, by the time he looked up again the white was gone from his beard. He dropped his toothbrush into the cup beside Christopher’s before he turned, resting his hip against the counter and crossing his arms, waiting for Buck to finish.

Buck scrubbed a few more times before he was sliding past Eddie to the sink and making quick work of ridding the toothbrush and his skin of any leftover toothpaste. Eddie plucked the blue toothbrush from his fingers, tossing it into the cup like he had done with his own, it hit the ceramic with a soft tink,

“Come on.” Eddie said, leading the way back to the living room in a fresh-smelling wave.

Eddie flicked off the lights as they went, the bathroom, the hall, the living room, leaving only the fairy lights, flashing softly, leading them in the direction of the fort.

Christopher had taken the middle, spread out amongst the plush nest of blankets with a smile that twinkled beneath the lights.

“Hello.” Buck said in a staged whisper, cramming himself into the spot free next to Christopher's right-hand side.

“Hi.” Christopher replied sunnily as Eddie took his place on Christopher’s other side.

The fort drooped slightly as Eddie squirmed his arm beneath one of the walls to reach for the plug. The flashes of color emitting from the fairy lights faded out, pitching the three of them into darkness with the soft click of the socket.

“If this thing falls on us in the night I will scream.” Buck murmured. A soft huff of laughter swam from his side. A small hand patted his arm.

“You’ll be okay.” Christopher said. “Goodnight Buck.”

The covers ruffled as Eddie shifted, arm draping over Christopher. Buck held his breath as Eddie’s hand settled on his chest, he waited for Eddie to move it, to realise that to cuddle Christopher like that meant he’d also be pulling Buck into it. Eddie’s fingers twitched against his stomach but stayed in place. 

He heard the soft smack of lips as Eddie no doubt pressed a kiss to Christopher’s head. The palm against his chest was warm, seeping through his borrowed shirt and heating beneath Buck’s ribcage like glowing embers.

“Goodnight.” Eddie said. Buck finally let out a breath, licking his lips as Eddie’s hand rose and fell with each sway of his chest.

“Night.” Buck murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS CHRISTMAS!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT TIME.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for your help writing this i would have died otherwise. I'll try and update soon! :D


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